Lullaby for a Stormy Night
by OmegaFoxy
Summary: OC's On hold till further notice WHOOT! When the world is dieing and the moon bleeds red, there is but a single choice to decide the fate of the next world: sumbit to the darkness of the new moon or bask in the light of the full moon. -Book of the Moon
1. Prolog

Lullaby for a Stormy Night

_We were meant to live for so much more_

_But we lost ourselves_

_Somewhere deep inside,_

_Somewhere deep inside_

_We were meant to live_

_We were meant to live_

**SwitchFoot: Meant to Live**

Prolog

I don't claim to be a prophet. I know nothing of wisdom or prophesy and yet… something deep inside me whispered in my ear since the day I was born under a harvest-red moon.

It's hard to explain just how I know, but …… I do. Paradise is real, and it wants me to follow it to salvation.

It must have had something to do with where I was born or something ….. Look at me, getting ahead of myself.

Let me try this again:

I am the 2nd pup born to Sasuke and Diya; a wise alpha wolf and a mysterious red she-wolf often called a vixen for her fox-like fur: a product of Diya having a fox ancestor somewhere in her bloodline. They adopted a son before me, Jasper, about five years my senior, but he acted like a second father to me. Always filling my head with silly wolfy stories he said he'd heard when they were still wild and free in a pack. They came to the city when they caught scent of the lunar flowers and followed papa's instinct to search it out. The rest of the pack stayed behind, believing that papa was just a star-gazed dreamer.

Jazz said that Momma never liked the idea of being near humans, much less working under one like a "lesser being", but what could she do? She couldn't leave her mate while she was pregnant with me waiting to be born. I personally can't remember my mother. She left us and the city before my eyes were able to open and Papa found another female who had lost her own pup to a human hunter who knew wolves still reined free in this world. Her name was Shura, my step-mother. Papa fell for her and they became mated.

We were happy to leave it like this for nineteen years. During that time, we met and befriended many humans at the labs while we posed as guard dogs in our wolf forms. One scientist, Cher, took a personal liking to me. Since I was considered unnecessary to the guard dog squad of the keep, I was forced to wander around kennel my family and other dogs lived. Cher noticed I was different from the rest with the foxy coat I inherited from my mother. She especially noticed when they brought in the flower maiden they'd recovered from the "Darcia" family called Cheza. The flower maiden reacted when I passed by the room while in my wanderings.

Cher requested I reside in the lab from then on while the rest of my family patrolled the grounds at night and in the middle of the day and I stayed there ever since.

I remember those times …… It was when that scent seemed to imprint itself in my mind and even coated my fur since I was around Cheza so often. I never was able to speak to Cheza before, yet I never felt the need to. Each day I spent in that lab under the orb she was in as she slumbered away undisturbed, I could feel myself being drawn closer and closer to her until it felt like I knew her personally and she myself as well. I felt a need to stay with her and follow where ever she may go, even if she was currently slumbering in an orb-like tank.

Cher and I became very good companions too, and I silently listened to her every concern at night when the rest of the lab crew went home for the night and it was just us and Cheza. I knew of her conflicting feelings to help Cheza and her concern for her newly divorced husband, Hub. I'd even seen the human once or twice when he 'dropped in' on chance. I could tell he would use any excuse to see her again. He still loved her, she was just ….. Not ignorant, but …… confused I guess. Cheza's lab tests seemed quiet time consuming, and I guess they just fell apart from the large bump the flower maiden had caused in their relationship.

Lately, Papa and Jazz had been returning from patrol with a few wounds here and there. They claimed that more wolves are arriving in the city. Shura was the scout of the squad. She would be sent out to patrol the area without a lease to seek out wolves and strays and Papa and Jazz would then chase after them after that, and usually just drove them out of the city or into a secluded corner where they did do much damage to the human society of the dome of Freeze City.

As of late though, everything seemed to be getting more and more exciting! Cheza started to open her magenta eyes and Cher was surprised to find that she was blind. Her emotions on the scanner wavered more often. The scientists believe she is reacting to some sort of presence. Not only Cheza, but Shura as well. Papa and her were so happy when they found out she was pregnant again! This time with Papa's pups! I was going to be an older sister!

For just that brief moment of a few days, I believed my life to be looking up.

But it was all just a silly dream that was cast away soon as the blissful fog of it cleared.

Papa came home later than usual one night. The team had split up looking for the members of a bothersome gang lately. He suspected that a wolf was the leader of the notorious humans and was right on the money. He went off on his own on our night off when the rest of us were asleep and came back late the next night bleeding with deep wounds marring his canine body.

The humans were terrified at what could have created such wounds but chalked it up to the belief that he had a run in with an enemy's machine sniper that got pass the outer wall's security. He would heal within a day or two because of his wolf blood, but the humans were blissfully unaware that we were wolves, or even that wolves still existed. They had thought it best to put him down since he was in obvious pain. So when dawn came, Papa was healed enough to move and led the 3 of us out of the keep and into the city. He said we needed to move on and that something was about to happen. We needed to flee the city.

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

Sasuke checked the sewer he was about to lead his family into, nodding in his satisfaction. His hazel eyes darted up to address his son, mate and daughter when a flash of white and grey fur caught his attention on the roof. He gritted his teeth, "Don't those fools take a hint? I told them to get lost!" the dark coal-brown shag of his fur ruffled as he moved through his small pack to go after the impudent young wolves when Shura's soft pleading voice stopped him.

"Sasuke?" she whimpered. Her violet eyes as beautiful as ever, even when filled with tears as hers was in her fear of what was going to happen to them, "Please, Sasuke… don't leave us- we have to get out together!"

"Shura," the large dark wolf lowered his ears as he turned back to her and nuzzled the fur of her neck while she did the same for comfort, "Shura, I will not leave you but for only a while. If I don't do something about this, they will be captured by the humans, and our numbers aren't enough as it is. We have to help one another out to survive." He turned to the roof again, "I must go." The soft metallic clink of his chain around his neck with the silver cross identical to the ones they all wore flashed in the florescent light as the large wolf disappeared into the shadows of the pre-dawn light, "I leave them in your care now, Jasper. Do not fail me."

The silvery-white young wolf nodded. His green eyes full of confidence and pride that his father put such faith in him, "With my life, father." The young wolf turned to his mother, "Come on, now Shura." He coaxed the worried pregnant she-wolf towards the man hole and helped her down before he came back up to his sister. Akira had yet to look away from the direction her father left. Her eyes transfixed on the roof where her ears picked up the sounds of wolves fighting.

"Akira, let's go!" Jasper snapped.

"Why do they fight, Jazz? Aren't they the same race?" the red young she-wolf turned her bright orange eyes to her brothers green ones that glared up at the roof that hid the wolves he and his father had warned earlier today.

"They're sad and pitiful creatures. They've forgotten who and what we are and so they fight amongst themselves. Don't ever get mixed up with those kind, right Akira?" brother and sister shared a look of understanding and amusement between the two of them, "Go on and get into the hole, little one." He helped her as she climbed down. Once she reached the bottom the three wolves were startled from a sudden shockwave that burst through the city.

A high piercing noise pierced their ears and forced Shura and Akira to hold their ears that started to bleed from the inside. Jasper fell to the ground above them near the manhole entrance, crying out in pain.

"JASPER!" Shura cried just as gunshots were heard from above and more frequent tremors of the earth started up. The once peaceful morning turned into a war zone in minutes, "Jasper- get down here!"

"They've found us!" Jasper called back. A split second later he yelled back down at them, "GO! GO TO OUTSIDE OF THE DOME AND TAKE THE TRAIN AWAY FROM HERE! I'LL LEAD THEM AWAY AND THEN CATCH UP TO YOU! JUST GO!" he shouted down at them.

"JASPER!" Shura cried out.

"Jazz!" Akira called back to him, "NO JAZZ! PAPA TOLD US TO STAY TOGETHER!" she started to climb up the steps to try and force him down with her.

"DON'T COME UP HERE!" Jasper commanded in a deadly voice that froze Akira and her stepmother, "Look, Father did say that, but he also made me promise to ensure that you and Shura get out of here alright. This is the only way available right now- NOW GO!"

Akira looked into her brothers deep green eyes once again before nodding while gritting her teeth to hold back the tears. She slid back down the steps and took Shura's hand.

"Come on, Shura! There's not much time!" she lead the pregnant woman down the pungent pipes of the sewer. Time after time they came to a dead end and the commotion from above grew more and more intense.

"I fear the roof could fall on us!" Shura gasped for breath.

"I see light! This way!" Akira led her mother towards the blinding light of the outside world. A world of a vast icy wasteland where it always snowed and was always overcast skies.

"NO!" she cried out, slamming herself against the bars that cut her mother and her off from their escape.

"We can't go back- it's too dangerous now." Shura panted for breath, "I can't take much more of this, Akira." She panted.

"Just hang in there, Shura, I'll get us out!" the red she wolf snarled at the bars and launched herself at them, banging her body against them and snapping her jaws around them to no avail, but she was determined to try, "LET. US. OUT!"

"You seem to be stuck down in there pretty good." A strong feminine voice startled Akira from trying to rip off the bars with her teeth that were untrained to do much damage to anything other than kibble. The young wolf and her mother looked up at the raven fur of the she wolf that stood out like a messenger of death against the stark white snow. A pair of red eyes had an upside down white hart-shaped marking on her forehead. The red-eyed wolf smiled genuinely as she crouched down in the snow in front of the bars, "Need a helping hand?"

The she wolf bared her teeth, the sharp fangs startled Akira and Shura into stepping back wisely as they expertly ripped through metal after grinding them between her teeth for a moment. Once both of the wolves were able to squeeze through and were blasted by the harsh winds and snow from the other side, the black wolf nodded her head, "I'm Heart, by the way."

"Akira and this is my stepmother, Shura." Akira introduced.

Shura bowed her head in thanks, "We are in your debt, Heart."

Heart's ears perked to the great wall behind them and scoffed, "I assume you two wanted to get away from here, yes? Well to do that effectively, we need to catch that train."

"What train?" Shura questioned.

"That one." The black wolf nodded towards the bullet train that was starting to cast off, "once on the train, stay in human form." Heart instructed, "Follow me!"

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

We barely escaped with our lives, let alone we were thankful for the fact that Shura and I escaped unharmed physically. Heart was able to smuggle us onto that train and took us with her to the Island she was headed to herself. She said that it had a large wolf population that would let us rest there with them while we waited for Jasper and Father to come back. The leader of a pack of wolves named Zali and his mate Cole took us in as their own. We were welcome to join them at in their own den at the city, but we took refuge in the grave yard. It didn't feel right to intrude on a different pack out of sympathy.

Heart kept her distance as well, only going near the pack when she was with either Shura or me. She was much more wary of the others than she was to us. She said it's because we seemed to call to her somehow, and she admitted that she liked my scent as well- the lunar flower scent. That's what leads her to us in the first place.

Once again, I fell into a rhythm. 6 months have passed and Shura's belly grows larger every day. She can't work at the station anymore in the mornings to help pull cargo loads to and from the train cars for food like the rest of us, so some of the other wolves, including Zali, Cole, and Heart, help me bring the food to her instead. I was pleased to see that while a few of the males of the pack like Moss and some others still saw Shura and I as the Omega's of the pack, Heart, Zali, and Cole saw us as one of their own now. They were very protective of Shura and treated the pregnant wolf with care as if she would break. They treated me like a sister or a daughter of their own. They even listened closely as the passengers got out to gossip with the other humans while the train briefly stopped to chat to see if there was any news or hint about what happened to Papa and Jazz.

I was beginning to accept my fate here, though I never accepted that the pack didn't believe in paradise. They said they've seen it once and it was hell, but I refused to believe it. Zali saw how passionate I seemed about it and quickly stopped any discussion about it when I was near, much to my relief. The others loved to pick on me about my naïve thoughts, but I could care less. Paradise was real and one day I'd see it with my own eyes when I saw Cheza again.

I still feel restless and my gut screams at me that a new change is rapidly coming for me. I don't know what it is, but my heart bores of this town and I long more than ever to search out this feeling and maybe follow it to Cheza! Somehow I knew that she had something to do with the way I felt.

I just never knew that she wasn't the only reason or role in my path to Paradise.

A/N- The lemon? Working on it. Instead of a one shot, I decided to go through and edit this story a bit, tweak it to satisfaction now that I'm more experienced you know? The Lemon will be IN the story now. Weather its one or two- we'll see. But there will be new parts added and older parts tweaked around a bit. I'm happy you guys love this story so much because in truth, so do I!

-Dessy-san


	2. Chapter 1 Common Curticy

_If I can learn to do it_

_You can learn to do it_

_There's nothing to it_

_Tell yourself it's easy _

_And it's true_

_You can learn to do it too!_

_**Anastasia Sound Track: Learn to Do it**_

Chapter 1- It's something called common courtesy

Four young male wolves leapt down from the islands' towering walls as they entered the town that held the faint scent of the lunar flower they searched for.

A white wolf landed first. He was the presumed leader of the four, yet that wasn't how this pack was run. They had no leader, no alpha amongst them, but he was the one to lead them towards the lunar flower. In human form he appeared to be a young man around the age twenty-two with sky-blue eyes and dark chocolate thick hair that lapped at his earlobes. He wore jeans, a white shirt, a torn pilot's jacket of dark leather brown and sneakers. This was Kiba.

Not a millisecond after he had landed, a scarred, gray wolf was at his side with a 'I-could-give-a-damn-less' look shinning in his golden eyes. He had a cross shaped scar on his chest that he adorned in both human and wolf forms. He looked to be about a twenty-five year old human who wore tight black leather clothing that fitted his occupation of choice amongst the humans back at Free City. A tight black vest with the long sleeves gapping over his shoulders. A grey undershirt was the only other thing that kept his chest warm in the human form. His tops stopped about an inch or two away from his leather black jeans and his matching steel-toe boots topped him off. He wore a gold spike earring in the right ear and a matching stub and small square hoop on the left. His silver hair was buzz-cut with a small rat-tail in the back. This was the warrior, the ever doubtful and critical Tsume.

The third of the group landed in time to Tsume. He was a two-toned brown fluffy wolf. Unlike Kiba and Tsume, the third wolf, Hige was built for the heavier winter times with his stockier build. He also adorned something in both wolf and human form, a brown leather collar with a silver plated 'X' on it. In human form, he wore a dark navy blue long-sleeve shirt with a baggy yellow short sleeved hoody that had black pinstripes on the sleeves and lighter blue sweatpants that also had the same idea of pinstripes. He wore thicker tennis shoes than Kiba and his dark autumn honey eyes glittered with mischief and showed off just how care-free Hige really could be. He was the tracker of the group, not just the jokester and pervert, with his abnormal sense of smell. Even for a wolf, his nose was a very delicate feature that his comrades took advantage of when they needed to find something like food or water.

The fourth and youngest of the group wasn't so fortunate to land on his feet when he joined his friends. He slipped to the ground with a yelp of indignity and whimpered as he pushed himself up. The red wolf was just out of his puppy years and Tsume never missed a chance to remind him of the youngsters' status amongst them. The Pup appeared as a young sixteen year old boy with shoulder length light brown hair and honey golden eyes of naivety and curiosity glints. He wore a red plated button up shirt that had the long sleeves rolled up to his elbows and dark green cargo pants that tucked into his dark brown combat boots. A three-ringed silver bracelet was hanging around his right wrist that also showed in his wolf form. The Pup wasn't much for fighting, he avoided fights at all costs and was often chastised by others for being soft hearted and a whiner, but his wolf song was beautiful to hear. His cheerful mood always seemed to lighten a rainy day for the others. This is Toboe, or the runt in Tsume and Hige's case.

Hige scrunched up his nose and snorted forcefully, "I know you smelt the flower from outside, Kiba, but this places' awful reek is too powerful to detect it from here, or even if there is such thing as a flower! My nose is burning it smells so bad!" the stocky wolf whined.

"So hold your breath, you big idiot." Tsume jibed lightly as he started to walk through this foreign town. His golden eyes took in every detail they passed, but he still had the aura about him of one who could care less if the ground under him turned to water.

"You know, I've smelled it a lot lately since you've been around. So it's probably just your stench that reeks enough already to kill a human that's chocking me!" Hige growled back as he glared at the gray wolf's back.

Kiba ignored the two and started to walk through the deserted streets after Tsumes lead. He was getting used to toning out the bickering his new pack tended to make.

Toboe shivered and didn't move until Hige decided to follow the others' examples. Even then, the younger wolf attached himself to the larger, older one's side. His deep honey gold eyes scanned almost desperately for any signs of life and only caught glimpse of them. It's as if they were hiding in fear from them. His sensitive ears picked up the frightened snivel of a woman and her child as they passed and he wanted to plaster his triangular ears to his head in shame that they were afraid.

"Are they ….. Are these people here really that afraid of us that they'd hide like we're hunting them or something?" he whispered as he saw a few more humans peeking out of their hiding places to watch them wearily pass by.

"Well, we shouldn't expect a welcoming ceremony or nothing. This obviously isn't a tourist's town with how awful it's kept and smells." Hige sighed as he too noticed the unnerving eeriness in the air around them. No one moved about freely like they did back at the Freeze City Dome. Everyone acted like someone was going to shoot them down if they stepped out into the open where Kiba and the others could clearly see them.

"We are outsiders here. It's only natural for them to treat us this way and keep their distance." Kiba said half-heartedly as he bypassed the other three wolves that stopped for a moment.

Tsume just snorted back at the white wolf in human form, "what a load of crap." He spat on the ground to show just what he thought of it and then followed reluctantly, signaling the other two to do the same.

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

The cool air was nippy as the sun went down near the island's station docks. Steam from departing engines and over-used heaters created a mist around two females departing from the station on their way back home from a hard day's work. One was decently sized with layered black hair down to her shoulders, dark skin and dressed in leather. She wore a crop leather jacket; pale red tank top under it and tight hip hugger leather pants with rips and tears from life in them. Her tall laced up boots were covering her pants up to the underside of her knee and on her right hand was a leather fingerless glove. Her red eyes were both beautiful and terrifying.

Next to the busty woman was a smaller, more humble-looking young woman. She was about a head and a half shorter than her 5' 10" friend. Her long auburn red hair hung down her back in waves to her lower back and her bangs reached just to the top of her neck where it met her chin where they were swept to the right side of her face, covering one of her orange eyes. Her skin wasn't as darkly tanned as her warrioress of a companion but it was a nicely sun-kissed one. She wore a white tee-shirt and dark blue blue-jean bell bottoms with hiking boots under them. She wore a long-tailed dark brown leather coat for warmth and on her neck was a silver chain with a cross pendent.

Each woman carried their earnings from a hard day's work- food. They were on their way back to their den near the grave yard and further away from the main pack where it was just the two of them and another, pregnant, one.

"Damn! What were those humans shipping back at that station? Elephants?!" Heart, the taller one, groaned as she stretched her back while they walked homeward bound, "it feels like I worked my ass off like a _dog_ today!"

"Imagine that" Akira giggled at her friends expanse as she herself shifted the heavy chunk of ham in her arms she was carrying for Shura back at the den, "I wonder how Shura's been doing all day with out us. It was a large and heavy load today so we were stuck in over time, remember? She must be so worried and lonely all by herself without us," the nineteen year old looking wolf girl looked to the west in the sky and frowned at the twilight she saw, "its even the time when the sun is setting and the moon is rising at the same time! Ah! I just love twilight!" the girl forced a cheerful look on her face to hide her worry.

But Hearts autumn red eyes didn't miss the worried flicker flash in her friends' bight orange orbs. Did this kid know how openly she let her emotions fly through her? She was like a mirror to her own soul with how trusting she was to let others know her feelings even if left unsaid. Akira wasn't what many would call a traditional wolf. Her upbringing near humans all this time evolved with the young she-wolf gaining a slightly different, more equal righted mind set. She treated humans and wolves as well as other creatures with respect the individual deserved, and for that, Heart admired the girl.

Heart hardly ever let the red pup out of her sights now days, the young she wolf needed constant protection. Her sheltered upbringing left her paws soft and teeth dull. Akira wouldn't act out in anger ever- her spirit too gentle and personality too complacent. She would rather lick the wounds of enemies than inflict them personally.

"Stop being such a Mother Hen! That's Shura's job, remember? Which one of you is pregnant with the_ maybe_ quadruplets?" Heart clapped a hand a bit too harshly on the younger, smaller girls back with a huge, shit-eating-grin and nearly shoved the poor little one over on her nose in the dirt road.

"Q-Quadruplets?!" Akira epped trying to right herself without dropping the ham, "Cole said that it's for sure only Twins, or maybe even TRIPLETS, but not QUADRUPLETS!"

Heart stole s sly glace at her companion before laughing in her face, "Akira, I was joking! You just looked too serious back there and it doesn't seem to suit you very well to get all serious like that. Besides, I'm sure she's just lazing around like she probably has all day watching the waves from the cliff like she always does when she's day dreaming about the pups." The taller girl suddenly caught something, and faltered in her steps, "Wait, Cole thinks Shura's carrying Twins?! No way!"

"Yeah!" Akira's face brightened up like a kid that was talking about their new puppy they loved and adored," Cole said Shura's too big for her to just be carrying only one. So she thinks its two! But Zali even thinks she's got three pups in her with how much she's been eating lately!" Heart smiled fondly as the younger wolf started to lead on again. Those orange eyes lighting up with her obvious pride as she babbled on about the pups her step mother carried.

"Three hyper cubs running around frolicking on the dangerous train tracks here in town is really a comforting thought," she smiled as the girl growled half heartedly back at her.

That made Heart happy as well. A little while after she met Shura and Akira, Shura had broke down to tears one night out of the blue when Heart had asked innocently why a nice pair like them wound out there in that dead-end sewer Heart found them in. Akira had excused herself from the den that night and Heart didn't see her until work the next morning, but the emotional Shura spilled her wounded heart out to her about the tragedy of her late mate and step-son. Flashes of Hearts own life flashed at her then and even now just remembering the stressful talk.

Memories of pain.

Of torment.

Memories of dark snarls and flashes of teeth pitted against brothers.

A pair of golden eyes and a bleeding cross on his chest from his humiliation…

"Just because pups are known to hyperactive and crazy doesn't mean Shura and I can't handle them Heart." Akira's voice cut through the dark woman's reverie.

Heart shook her head of those thoughts.

Now was not the time to go reminiscing about the past. She'd never hear, see or smell… smell pine musk and oil??

'Wait a minute'

Heart froze when the breeze brought an ironically familiar scent to her. Her senses went on alert and she didn't move a taunt muscle. Akira closed her mouth as she was about to retort Heart, but was stopped when the older wolf froze up.

Instantly alert and searching for what danger there seemed to be, Akira looked around before turning confused orange golden eyes to her friend, "Heart, what is it? What's wrong?" she instinctively started to put her back to Hearts.

"Someone's ….. Here. Outsiders." Heart said quietly.

Their heads turned on a hard right when they heard Zali's cold laughter, "And just what are you boys look'n for here?" came his gruff voice down the alley adjacent from them.

"That's Zali," Akira started for the alleyway she heard it from. Looking for all the world like a puppy eager to greet a playmate.

Heart's eyes widened, "Akira!" she hissed, but the younger wolf didn't listen as she jogged through the enclosed space until she reached the other end and stood out of sight from the two wolf packs at the mouth of the other end of the ally. Zali, Cole, and the others were sitting around the fire while a small pack of four male wolves Akira didn't recognize told them they were just passing though on their journey.

"Journey? Where the hell are ya going?" Hide, a scrawny peppered colored wolf snorted.

"We're going to Paradise!" the youngest, rust-red wolf stated rather proudly his human form had the same color of hair as his fur and his eyes were warm like a child's.

Akira's eyes widened, "Paradise?" she whispered. Was it true? Were these wolves really going there?

Zali laughed at them harshly and was joined by the others in his sinister cackle. Akira whimpered and pressed herself up against the wall. Why were they laughing? They got an answer didn't they?

"What? What's so funny!" the young wolf demanded. Zali just laughed harder.

The white wolf didn't seem amused and neither did his pack mates, "They laugh because they obviously have no idea about what or where paradise is." He chided, "They're just a bunch of washed up sewer rats."

"Oh, we know where it is." Zali said dead serious.

"You do?!" the other pack seemed shocked.

"Yeah, and its not paradise ….. It's more like a …. Well what would you call it Mose?" Zali looked down to another dark brown wolf who smirked.

"I recall HELL being the only word fit for it." Mose said, "It took out half our pack and we barely came back with out lives. There is no such thing as-,"

"Stop right there!" Akira snapped. She could take no more of this, not from Zali.

Everyone looked back surprised to see her there. The wind was moving toward her so no one caught her scent! She was just as startled as they were, to tell the truth. She didn't even realize said anything- it just slipped out.

Zali's eyes widened with something akin to concern, "Akira,"

"P-Paradise is _real_!" she stuttered, trying to regain her composure, "I know it's real!"

"Oooh, look at this, boys. The little girly says paradise is REAL because she KNOWS it is." Mose chuckled with the boys, but Zali remained silent, almost trying to will Akira away with a hard stare, but she wasn't looking at him.

Akira clenched her fists and gritted her teeth as she felt her fur stand on end, "Can't you feel its call? Paradise is there- you're just too depressed to feel the call! You've given up too soon!" she seethed heatedly.

"Shut up runt! It's _you _who knows nothing about it! You haven't seen what we-," Mose was cut off when Zali gave him a dirty look and held up a hand that dared the lower ranking wolf to continue.

Turning to look straight at the young she-wolf Zali gave a commanding soft growl, "It doesn't matter now Akira. Just go home and forget what Mose said." He looked back at the boys, "Its best if you boys don't hang around here too much. The sooner you leave the better. You're welcome to do as you like, but get in the way of us and pay for it."

The grey wolf growled lowly, but just left it at that as he turned away to walk on. The large brown one at his heels with a sneer on his face in disgust. The red wolf tugged the remaining wolf's sleeve, "Come on Kiba, we don't wanna stay here around them. Let's get going."

And with that, the four of them left. Zali turned to confront the she-wolf he treated as a daughter to find her gone as well and sighed. She'd hold that against him for a while. He looked over to his mate, Cole who just glanced at him with her lavender eyes before looking back to the ally Akira had left.

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

"There you are! What were you doing brown nosing like that!" Heart scolded the younger wolf as she came back out of the ally while she jogged up to meet her half way.

"Heart? Can you take this to Shura for me?" Akira handed the large ham to her friend, looking away from her in thought.

"Huh? Uh … Sure, but why?" Heart looked down at Akira, trying to catch her eye, but when Akira did raise her head, she looked off into the direction those boys left in. Heart also looked in that direction to see what the other she-wolf saw. When she saw nothing she turned annoyed red eyes back on the red head, "Hey, tell me what's got you so bogged out all the sudden squirt! Come on!"

"I … I don't really know, but something is pulling me towards them. Ever since they mentioned Paradise as their destination, I feel like I need to at least meet them. They might be gone tomorrow so I want to do it tonight." Akira looked back to the autumn red eyes pleadingly, "Do you understand?"

Heart stared at her in disbelief before she sighed in defeat rubbing the back of her neck, "Sure, whatever. But don't do anything stupid, okay? Let's take care of one pregnant gal at a time, Kay?" she smirked with a joke with a playful wink to rile the younger girl up.

Akira blushed, "N-N-No! T-T-That's not," mission accomplished!

"I don't really care, just meet me at the station in the morning if nothing else, okay?" Heart nodded, still with a playful smile on her face that tormented the poor red head.

Akira nodded, still blushing and the two went their separate ways. Heart looked over her shoulder at the young girl, noting that she reverted to her small wolf form with fox coloring, "What the heck is going on?" she looked up to the moon as if it had answers, "Oh for the love of the moon,"

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

Akira sniffed at the concrete edge just outside of the towns' streets and sighed in frustration, "Damn it! I just missed them too." Looking around she shivered as the cool wind reached her through her old red leather trench coat, "Or at least I think I did. The cold ground is messing up the scent trail. If I try to follow it now I could just wound up walking around town following the wind!"

The poor she-wolf huffed in frustration as she plopped down on her haunches beside the concrete wall that held their scent to it. They must have rested here not too long ago, but that was all she could pick up. Her tracking was very rusty; she never had to use it! That was Jazz's job!

'But Jazz's not here is he!' she chastised herself in the back of her mind then stiffened when she caught herself getting on to herself!

"Great, now I really AM delusional!" her wolf ears flattened as she lowered her head pitifully, looking like a kicked puppy.

"I like to call it 'Youthful Mental Disorder'." Zali's voice came from her left flank.

Akira barely glanced over her shoulder to acknowledge his presence, "It's such a nice term for troubled thoughts you have made up." She rolled her eyes as he approached her side and looked down at her a moment. Feeling conscious with his gaze, Akira met him with her strange canine-orange colored eyes.

"What?" she asked trying to hide the fact that she was uncomfortable just by someone staring? Was it because she never was in her wolf form around him?

"What do you think you're doing out here by yourself at this time Akira? And in your wolf skin no less? Some human on the island could mistaken you as a stray and take you it." oh great! Zali's going into 'Surrogated Father' mode! He had that 'don't-lie-to-me' look; arched eyebrow and all.

"I'm a wolf, aren't I? Don't we thrive on Moonlight?" Akira evaded, "And most humans have seen my wolf form in the warehouse. They know I'm not a stray."

"Akira!" he snapped warning.

Akira was caught. She flinched and tucked her tail in closer to her body at the harsh snap, making him start to regret reacting like that. She was still tender from losing her blood family and he should have known not to snap at her. She was not of his pack or his blood.

"Just a moonlight stroll, Zali. Nothing more, or anything less. I just needed some air. I know not to go near the others or the humans." She said submissively with a small smile of an apology. Her voice was softly spoken and she turned her head to gaze up at the crescent moon while reverting to her human form, "So how about you, oh 'Great Leader'? What are you out for? I was under the impression that the fearless love-sick alpha wolf didn't like to leave Cole's side at night." She couldn't resist a small tease at the mighty wolf beside her.

Zali sighed, "The old man's still in the Cemetery digg'n his whole again. I don't want him too tired for work tomorrow and miss out on his fair share of food." He admitted.

Akira's expression saddened and she downcast her gaze to the crashing waves under the moonlight below them, "He's really at the end of his rope, isn't he? Who knows, he might not even live long enough to see our next beautiful full moon." Her red hair blew in the wind as if being sucked towards the ocean.

Zali looked down at the crimson red hair that blew in her face and hid her eyes from his briefly before looking to the moon once more, "Yeah…. He knows his time is nearing. That's the way it is around here. You dig your own grave when you're instincts warn you about it. The rest of us can't and won't do anything to stop him from going down there to dig his grave. It's just something he and other elderly must do. It's the way things are." Zali glanced down before snorting at a passing thought and turned to leave, "Speaking of which, I should hurry up and get to him before he works himself to death just digg'n the damn thing."

After he had taken a few steps, Akira looked up and stood to follow him. He stopped to wait for her when he heard her trotting after him to catch up, not surprised in her decision to follow in the least. Soon as she was at his side, the two of them continued on to the cemetery about four blocks down the road. It was where Akira, Shura, and Heart's den was located anyways. So Zali wanted to make sure the young wolf got home safely. He didn't much trust those new boys around her. She was a pretty little thing and he was sure they wouldn't mind trying to take a go with her.

'Over my dead body' he snorted in thought. She was his charge along with her mother and friend. The rest of his pack didn't accept it yet, but he wouldn't let anything come near the little she-wolf with those intentions!

Further down the road, Akira's soft alto voice broke the companionable silence they shared on the walk, "It's…. ironic," she said softly, "How life ends and begins almost at the same time. It's almost as if the world doesn't want us to despair our losses for very long and gives us something new to love in the old ones place for our hearts to heal. Birth seems to always come around death. Some how, it's like the world wants to cheer us up and keep the hope for the future in us. The will to live always surges in us even though some one dear to us dies."

Zali looked down at her with surprised dark golden eyes as they walked on. He was at a loss of words at her out spoken statement. Then it seemed to click and he smiled warmly at her then looked back to the road, "You mean how the old man is dying and your mothers pups are about to be born into this world?"

Akira nodded with out looking at him, "Yeah,"

"You know, that's not something many wolves claim to believe or even mention now-a-days" he said, "its admiring to hear you say things like that. Such a serene out look on life and death and all…," he looked down at her through the corner of his eyes, "who taught you such philosophies?"

"Papa taught Jasper and me differently from other wolves. Our family has always been a little rebellious of the older wolf traditional outlooks on life and how we should think. He never wanted us to think that life was just some dim road to paradise only for us to walk it and leave it with out a second thought. He wanted us to help out who ever we could on our way as well. To help others find their own happiness along with our own. Why should wolves be the only ones to reach happiness? Isn't that what everyone else lives for? To find some kind of happiness that draws them out of their hiding holes?"

"It's difficult to really reply to something like that. I've really never thought of it much ….," Zali mumbled in thought. She was so open that it touched him with the trust she showed him. He decided to drop it at that though. He didn't like adding salt to her old wounds of her deceased father, "You're really an odd one, you know that?" he chuckled and ruffled her hair affectionately.

Akira pushed his hand off her head and glared half-heartedly at him as she smoothed out her crimson red locks again, "I get that a lot."

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

Hige covered his nose when the old wolf showed them the 'entrance to paradise' which was an entrance to an underground tunnel, "Ah! It reeks of death and decay in there! It's worse than Tsume or the town, even!!"

Tsume half-heartedly glared at the youth before bopping him upside the head and making him fall over on his face.

"I was …. Well, kinda hoping it would look a lot nicer than this really," Toboe confused with a crestfallen expression as the four young wolves stared at the 'Tunnel to Paradise'.

Kiba stared in wonder at it. He started to approach but when he came to pass the elder wolf's side, the old man spoke out against it.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Kiba stopped to here what he had to say, "Many young wolves have traveled down that path, but sadly few none have ever made it there. The few that do survive come back to weave a living out here….. Just like the rest of us." His old wrinkled face fell solemnly, "It's just the way things are here."

Kiba looked back at the tunnel; debating on whether or not to believe the old one and take a chance on the tunnel anyways, but there was a new presence behind him that alerted him. There stood Zali and at his side was that young girl who had spoke against the others back in the ally. She had long crimson hair that was thick and had a wave to it, and around her neck was a dog chain with a silver crucifix as its tag. Her strange bright orange eyes stared back at him and the others as she held up her human form tightly. Not letting them see her wolf reflection. She was on guard around them.

"That's enough digging for the night, old man. Don't forget you have work tomorrow." Zali called to the old man in a calm voice.

"Really now? It's that late already?" the old wolf shrugged and walked through the young males to Zali's and the she-wolfs side, "I suppose its deep enough."

Kiba's blue eyes glared at the older pack leader "Wait a minute….. When your pack tried to get to paradise, is this the path you took?"

"I thought I told you to get out of here." Zali growled in threat.

"Zali" the old man lightly begged for him to keep his temper in check.

"If you kids disrupt the peace of this pack in anyway, I'll show you no mercy!" it was a threat that he felt needed to be let out in the open before anything else was said or done.

Akira started to reprimand him, "That's not fair to go around accusing people of such things when you have no idea if that's their intention! They said they were only passing though so why are you being so harsh!?" she didn't yell, but her raised voice spoke levels about how far she was willing to take this should he continue this hostility.

"It was just a fair warning. You should get back to your den before the others get worried about you Akira." Zali brushed her concerns off, but glared at the other four wolves, "Now get out of town before dawn, ya hear? And no funny business!"

With that, he led the elder wolf away. Leaving Akira and the other four wolves behind in the chilly graveyard.

Akira bristled at his high and mighty attitude and crossed her arms over her chest with a huff as she glared off after him, "Sometimes he can really be an ass you know." She mumbled, "It's not fair that he has to be such a nice guy too." She then sighed at the curl fates and turned to the boys with a shrug.

"Him? A nice guy?" Hige snorted, "Not likely"

"Really, it's just a front he puts on around new comers. Trust me, I know how it feels." Akira admitted with welcoming smile, "I'm Akira by the way. I apologize on Zali's behalf if he offended any of you." She grinned apologetically.

"Hn, we'll live." Tsume snorted.

"Why did you stand up for us against your alpha? It's not respectful to speak against your superiors decisions." Kiba asked, not trusting that another wolf would just help out one a pack that was not their own on a whim.

"Superior? Alpha??" Akira giggled out loud at the assumption, "No, no, no! You've got it all wrong; Zali's pack isn't my own." She pointed to herself as if it were ridiculous.

"That explains why you didn't follow him and the old man just now." Tsume said rather crossly.

Hige sighed, "And here I thought this chick took an interest in us."

"If Zali isn't your alpha, then why are you around here? Is there another pack?" Toboe asked as he approached her. She seemed nice and her smell was … different. She wasn't like Tsume or the others. He had never met a she-wolf so close before. All he'd met were Kiba, Hige, and Tsume, and they were the first wolves he'd ever seen!

"Some what …." She decided to evade their eyes.

"Some what?" Tsume just had to pry…..

"My step-mother and I are refugees from Freeze City where my passed father's body still remains to our knowledge and we were separated from my brother in our attempt to escape the confusion of the stolen flower maiden. We stumbled here and met up with Zali and the others, and while they did show us mercy for our resent tragedy, it didn't feel right to intrude on them. It's hard enough to get where they are now. A friend of ours lives with us in those ruins over there," she nodded to an old sanctuary house that was only half standing, but it was shelter.

"You're from Freeze City? We just came from there. How do you know about the flower maiden?" Hige asked curious as the rest.

"My family portrayed as guard dogs or search dogs at the keep in the heart of the city where Cheza, the flower maiden lay in their labs. Something happened and they found out that we weren't dogs so Papa wanted us to leave. He said Cheza would be safe since other wolves have arrived in the city."

"So you decided to hunt down your own kind with the humans in favor for staying close to Cheza!?" Tsume accused with venom.

Hige glared at the untrusting grey wolf, "Cut it out, Tsume! Stop being such an accusing bastard all the time!"

Akira's eyes widened, "NO! We didn't hunt any of you! Papa and Jazz were the only ones you probably would have seen on the streets. Shura was only a tracker and I was too young to be much help! Papa always led the humans away from you or other wolves so you WOULDN'T get caught!" she snarled in self justification.

Tsume looked surprised, but Hige just laughed, "It would explain why your little 'gang' of humans were hardly ever caught if you had a wolf on the inside covering up your tracks for ya." He joked.

Tsume snarled at him.

Toboe just smiled good naturedly, "Don't take it to heart. Tsumes just untrusting like that at first. He'll lighten up sooner or later." He smiled at the she wolf. She really seemed like someone he wanted to get to know.

Akira smiled back and nodded then rolled her eyes as something just occurred to her, "I won't then. Believe it or not, he's not the only one with a gruff exterior around here." She walked to the other side of the group and looked over her shoulder expectantly, "Well, aren't you coming? You can crash at my place if you'd like. There's plenty of room and Cole should come around sometime tonight to drop off our dinner."

"Really? FOOD?!" Hige salivated at the mere thought of following this cute female and getting food too, "I'm all for it!" he quickly followed her lead. Toboe trotted up to her side as well. Kiba took one last look at the underground entrance before he too followed her. Tsume just growled in frustration.

"Come on Tsume! What's the hold up! Aren't you hungry?" Hige shouted over his shoulder.

At that time, Tsumes stomach decided to remind him just how true the boy was as it growled nice and long in protest of being empty. So, grudgingly, the grey wolf followed at his own pace.

"I'm coming." He caught up with Kiba and let out a frustrated sigh, "how do we know she's not trying to trick us to lead us in a trap this Zali guy made up for us?"

He underestimated the she-wolfs hearing abilities, because Akira stopped and stiffly turned on her heels to glare at him disapprovingly, "Really, you'd think a 'proud' wolf like you would know about a little Common Courtesy" she huffed. And with a flick of her long hair she whirled around and continued to lead them up the slope to her den, "Stupid dug beetle brained men and their stupid macho egos…" she grumbled to herself.

Hige and Toboe chuckled at Tsume's shocked expression.

Kiba smirked, "Does that answer your question?" he let a few chuckles out himself.

"I'm like'n this place more and more by the minute! Who cares if it stinks when it's got fiery cute girls like that?" Hige grinned goofily.

A/N- Can you guess what I changed in this one? ^_^ I'm sooooo excited to get to the later chapters and juice them up a bit! He haha! I swear I'm not on DRUGS!

I'd like it if you'd go on and review about the changes if you guys would please? (puppy eyes)

OH! Do you guys like the new pen name?


	3. Chapter 2 Truth of Fallen Wovles

_When you call on me_

_When I hear you breathe_

_I get wings to fly_

_I feel that I'm alive_

_When you look at me_

_I can touch the sky_

_I know that I'm Alive._

_**I'm Alive- Celine Dion**_

Chapter 2- Truth of the Fallen Wolves

They were coming, once again there was no where to run or hide as the buildings with in the forest burned down to the pinewood forest floor. Wolves howled in the distance, calling out to one another as soldiers charged the small mountain town on the cold Christmas morning full of pain and the blood of unsuspecting wolves.

She snarled darkly, standing over some of the pack's pups. Her dark fur stood on end in warning as her red eyes reflected the blood in the dead man's veins that stained her usually pearly white fangs. Once she took down another enemy, she turned to the frightened pups, "RUN!"

She followed them up the pass, nudging them through the deep snow and snaping at them to run faster when they wanted to turn and call out to their parents. She pinned back her ears to try and muffle out the screams of her fellow pack mates- she could do nothing for them now. She wasn't strong enough to save them, and her mate had yet to return from his trek for food with the hunting party.

The dark she-wolf herded the pups into an open area where the snowy forest gave way to a small clearing with a hotspring in the center. The steam made her wary, as it hindered both her sight and muddled the smells- making fresh ones stale quicker than normal and muddle in with the older ones. Her nose caught the scent of wolf…. And man.

"I'm scared," "I want momma!" "I smell blood!" "Are the human's gone now?" the pups whined as the four of them huddled closer to their alpha female. The large black wolf's long fur was more than enough to give them all comfort, but they were shivering more in fear than cold by now.

"Just stay close and we'll all be fi-," her ears perked up as the she wolf stood tall and erect. Her heart beat pounded in hear ears as instant fear swelled inside her.

_Cha-chick_

The sound every wolf knows very well- the sound of a gun cocking to fire.

"RUN!" she shoved the four of them out from under her and nipped at their heels to make them run faster. The startled pups bounded through the deep snow with difficulty as they made a mad dash in a line, one after the other, across the clearing just beside the hotsprings.

_CA-BANG!_

"YEEEIIIII!" The last of the pups fell to the white snow, painting it red as his blood flooded from his bullet wound. His friends were too scared to look back as they bolted across the rest of the way while two more gunshots were fired. The Alpha female slid to a stand still in front of the pup in shock.

"Come, pup, you have to get up! You have to run! Come!" she demanded, nudging him despratly. Her instincts roared in her ears to run and made her legs feel flighty, wanting to get away from the huntsman's kill quickly, but her love for the pups in her pack wanted her to stay and help this one escape like the others were hopefully able to do.

"It…it hurts," The light colored pup whimpered as he tried to sit up to lick his wound, but the pain was too much for him to barely move, "I… I can't see anything…. I feel numb"

The dark she-wolf's red eyes filled with realization- poison. The hunting-bastards were using silver bullets to take down her pack- ordinary bullets wouldn't endanger a wolf's life like this, but silver was poisonous to wolf blood!

With out her noticing, a hunter suddenly appeared just behind the large black female wolf, aiming his gun for her as well, "Shoot yer pup, now did I missy?" the hunter chuckled drunkenly, "No worries, yer joinin him soon enough," the long snout of a shot gun was pointed at her head and the end of it rested on the white, upside down heart marking on her forehead forbearingly, but the dark she-wolf didn't back down. She snarled back at him, her red eyes locking on him, wanting to remember the face of the man she would make suffer as she killed him slowly, letting the scavangers of the forest pick his bones on this very cold mountain top as the soft flurries of snow started to fall around them.

"HEART!" a flash of grey fur flurried by as the man was tackled to the ground. The gun went off, bullet catching the tip of Heart's ear and marking it forever with a small hole-indent near the edge of the lobe. She yelped stunned that she'd been shot, but was lucky the bullet had not touched any veins in the ear enough to poison her with the silver in it. She shook her head to gather her wits while the grey wolf lift up his head from bowing over his bloodied kill, the hot blood still dripping from his stained muzzle as he licked his chops clean of the excess bloodied liquid.

"Are you alright?" his deep voice asked as golden-amber eyes looked her over while he trotted up to examine her for himself.

"I'm fine, but…" Heart looked back with her ears flattening, "The pups…" her red eyes searched his for any kind of answer.

"We can't do anything about that now. There's more hunters coming, we have to go somewhere safe: I found a place where the human's cant get to up higher on the mountain peak." The larger male nodded his head up towards the mountain, avoiding her autumn red gaze.

"How'd you find that?"

"I found it while wandering around before the hunters came this morning, come on!" he started up for the peak, but she didn't follow, "Heart- we don't have much time!" he urged with a sharp bark.

"But the pups!" she barked back, "And what about my mate? Have you seen Ruze?"

"There isn't time for that!" the other wolf snapped, "The pups are on their own, and Ruze isn't here either!"

"I can't leave with out the pups, Tsume. You go on ahead!" the she wolf barked back at him in her haste, "I'll catch with the pups! Go ahead of us and keep the spot safe!" she bounded after the pups through the snow and the steam of the hotsprings, ignoring the male's calls for her.

"HEART! HEAAAART!" the voice ehoed in a howl….

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

"How's Shura doing, Heart?" Akira asked as she entered the door of their little den.

Heart jerked her head up from her slumber where she sat on a fallen pillar near Shura, who lay on her side in her wolf form. She was so beautiful in that form that she looked like a husky dog of the finest blood-line! She had chocolate brown fur with a light cream, off-white under belly and legs. Shura's eyes are violet when they open, but right now, the pregnant wolf lay sleeping under the moon ray that shimmered through the doorway. Her huge lump of a stomach gently raised and fell in time to her slow, easy breathing of slumber.

Heart's eyes were wide, as if something startled her in her sleep for a moment, but the red orbs remained on Shura for a bit longer as she seemed to calm down and then she dragged them slowly up to meet Akira's, "She hasn't moved a muscle since we both fell asleep, but her pregnancy is causing her to stay in wolf form for now. I don't think she'll be able to revert back as a human easily until after the pups are…," she trailed off when she saw the girl wasn't alone.

Heart watched fully alert as four males poured into the small den. Instantly she was on alert, ready and willing to protect her new family, but her heart stopped when one of them was devastatingly familiar to her. Her sudden burst of protective anger seeped away instantly with a sense of Deja'vu upon catching the amber golden eyes of the most formidable of the new pack following Akira in- Why was HE here?

'I thought he died!' her red eyes looked him over, 'He looked nearly as good as he did when he was younger nearly seven years ago!' was she really just now dreaming of him? Heart resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose and groan at the on coming head ache.

"Akira….. What's going on?" she growled in a light warning when the youngest one of the small group started to curiously approach Shura's sleeping form. Heart stood up and made to stand between the new comers and the sleeping Shura. Her red eyes cold and hard on the small young wolf, intimidating him into to stepping back away from her and Shura.

Akira smiled apologetically, "Come on, Heart, don't be like Zali! They mean us no harm," Akira tried to smooth the wolfs' ruffled fur, "They didn't have a place to rest. So I'm letting them stay here with us tonight. It's chilly anyway and it'll keep us all warmer with so many of us here."

"How do you think Shura will take this?" Heart was more than a little angry that Akira just decided to let this group of strangers in their den so willingly. Seriously, she needed to learn to be a little more self-preserving!

"She'd bite our heads off if she found out we let them sleep out in the cold like the others were willing to do and you know it." Akira said with a sort of dryness in her voice, giving Heart a sideways glance as she bypassed the elder wolf to approach her sleeping mother and check her over, nodding her satisfaction that Shura was just as well off as she was this morning when Akira and Heart left for the work day.

"If we're really that much trouble…" Kiba started.

"Oh, don't be mislead by her words." Akira shifted to sit facing towards him with a roll of her eyes, "Heart's also one that doesn't like to trust people." She then mumbled under her breath, "And she's protective as hell!"

"Not like you DON'T need it with how trusting you are!" Heart shot back, whirling around from her death glare at the boys to turn the hard look onto a startled Akira.

Kiba and the others watched amused as Akira struggled to apologize to Heart, fumbling over words and fretting about like shy child called up to the front by a sadistic teacher in a Spelling Bee contest. The young red-head was so startled, she fell back from crouching down and ended up on her butt, leaning away from Heart as if to try and escape the intimidating pierce of Heart's red eyes.

"I-I-I'm sorry H-Heart! It's not that it's just…. Well…." Akira stumbled for the right word.

Heart arched an amused brow, "I'm waiting,"

At that show of attitude, Akira bristled, "You're just so damn over bearing, that's what!"

"What do you expect me to do? LET you go out on your own to do whatever the hell you wish?! Not likely princess. You'd be hauled off somewhere by lord knows what with in two days!" Heart laughed at Akira's expanse, "More like two hours," she added as an after thought.

Before Akira could retaliate, Heart waved her off to say she was just kidding, "Well, can I at least know who they are if I'm to let them stay here without dismembering them?" she held out a hand to help pull Akira back to her feet, then turned her red eyes back on the boys, not as cold, but just as guarded as before.

Hige flinched, "This chick is crazy," he mumbled low enough she didn't hear, "Sadistically crazy…" he unconsciously brought both hands to his front and clasped them together, covering his groin area protectively.

Tsume grunted in agreement. She reminded him of someone as well, but he didn't feel like bringing up the past now. He was the type to leave the past in the past.

When Akira's eyes widened and her cheeks let a light blush surface, Heart felt like strangling the she-wolf, "Akira, for the love of the _moon_, tell me you didn't just invite four strange wolves-MALE WOLVES- in our home without getting their names."

Akira looked away, pulling her bangs behind her ear nervously, "Uhhh…. Yes?"

"AKIRA!" Heart snapped.

"Toboe."

"Huh?" Heart and the others looked at the young boy who was the wolf just out of his pup years, "Come again?"

The kid smiled and pointed to himself as if he were proud to repeat himself, "My name is Toboe." He pointed to the others while he named them off as well, "and this is Hige, Kiba, and Tsume."

Akira smiled back while Heart just stared wryly at Tsume who glared back, "Well then, this is Heart and the _very _pregnant wolf sleeping right now is my step-mother, Shura."

Hige looked over the sleeping wolf and cocked his head, "She's gained a lot of weight, but I thought this place was sucked dry of any food." He turned back to address Akira, feeling the younger wolf was easier to talk to then her intense friend, "Does she get some kind of special treatment from the pack or something?"

"She's pregnant." Akira simply explained.

The others looked surprised. They exchanged odd looks of varying confusion, "Pregnant?" Kiba echoed, as if trying to fit his tongue around the rare word.

"But even still, she looks a little bigger than what I thought was normal." Hige marveled. It wasn't very often that one saw a pregnant wolf anymore. Or even pups!

"The others and I believe she's with more than one pup. Maybe even three or four." Heart explained with a shrug, but her voice and eyes were softened while talking about Shura's pregnancy. Akira nodded with eager pride as she approached Heart's side to lean on one of the few still standing pillars nearby, folding her arms over her chest as she looked back wistfully at her slumbering mother with a sigh.

"Wow, she got fuck'n banged up pretty good," Tsume said crudely, though his voice betrayed just how impressed he really was that the female could actually get pregnant.

Akira gapped as she turned to look at him in disbelief while Heart's sharp red eyes hardened on him with boiling fury. She looked ready to maul him soon as she shifted to wolf form, but with the way her hand flexed near the gun holister strapped to her hip, it looked like she didn't need to be in wolf form to fight Tsume.

"Tsume!" Toboe tried to sound scolding.

Heart glared at him, "Hhn. And here I thought you were a ghost come to haunt me about my past, but since you talk, I guess you must really be here." She answered Tsume's warning growl with a snarl of her own, "Why are you still alive?" Tsume's snarl stuttered to a stop, as if he just remembered the woman before him.

Okay ….. Now everyone was confused except for the confused Tsume and the snarling she-wolf.

After a good few minutes of a staring contest, Tsume's confusion died away as he smirked cockily, "Guess you thought wrong then, huh? Here I am in the flesh and blood. So I guess your little boy toy wasn't enough to kill someone like me." His golden-amber eyes glinted mockingly, "A sinner, right?"

"He thought you betrayed all of us! You're one to talk though, with how they SAW you run away and all." She shot back, "I didn't get there in time to tell him what really happened."

"You actually think he'd have listened?" Tsume challenged with a light snarl which she answered just as strongly.

"He MIGHT have, you Bastard!"

"Better than being _his _wanton little lapdog whore." Tsume retorted with out much enthusiasm as if she already bored him

"You son of a-,"

"Heart!" every one looked across the small room by the fallen pillar Heart left behind to see the wolf's violet eyes open now, "That's enough, now."

"But Shura!" Heart protested feebly.

"If you really need to get out the frustration that you've built up, go outside and run in the moonlight or something, but don't take it out on them!" Shura's wolf eyes bore into Hearts autumn ones with a pleading look, "Do not take it out on our guests."

Heart sighed and turned away from the elder wolf's pleas. She hated how she had a soft spot for the violet-eyed she-wolf and her step daughter, "Fine, I'm going out to vent then. I'll see you at the station tomorrow, Akira." With that, Heart shifted to her wolf form.

Her dark raven black fur flashed and her white upside down heart-marking blazed in the moonlight as the red-eyed she-wolf darted outside and out of sight. Leaving the group behind her to watch as she left the cemetery yard.

"Please, forgive Heart." Shura's gentle voice made everyone look away from the trail left by the angered wolf, "She's seen and had so much happen lately. I think she was just trying to find someone to vent on." She looked up to Tsume, "She didn't anger you, did she?" the violet eyes were so full of unrestrained worry that it caught the callous wolf off guard.

Tsumes usually cold stare lightened only a fraction at the she-wolfs concern even in her stressful state of being pregnant, "Feh, I'll live." He said with an air of indifference.

Akira looked mournfully at the door, "It's my fault she got upset. I should have known she wouldn't take kindly to strangers I just happened to come by with much courtesy." She started for the door, "I'm goanna go find her,"

"Akira, give her sometime to cool off before you approach her, alright? She needs a good few moments to herself." Shura warned with a mothers fierce gaze of knowing in her violet eyes.

Nodding, Akira also reverted to her own wolf form. She was smaller than average with a fox-like look to her. She had a blood red coat with black fur from her elbows down and the tips of her ears as well as her shoulders were also lined in black. She had a white around her muzzle and eyes with small outline black, but her tail looked as if someone dipped its tip in white paint. She looked cute, but very strange. They knew she was a wolf, but if they didn't know otherwise, she'd be a large fox in their eyes.

"Look after Shura for a while, ok?" she said to the boys before leaving to follow the trail Heart had darted off to.

"Is she some type of Hybrid?" Hige blinked as he watched the red and black wolf bound off.

"I never knew her real mother," Shura admitted, "and neither Jasper nor Sasuke were very forward with information about her, but I do know that Akira is not a full blooded wolf. Her mother is either half or full fox."

"A hybrid?" Tsume whispered.

"Do all hybrids smell like her? Like flowers?" Toboe asked.

"You mean the Lunar Flower scent?" the others looked back at the older she-wolf as she lifted her head tiredly, "She was the only one of us able to go near Cheza back at the lab. Sasuke once said that her change in scent was permanent to her because of how often she was near the maiden and thought that Cheza had made a connection with her somehow. She hasn't been the same since we left Freeze City and Cheza, but I just thought that was due to losing her Father and getting separated from Jasper." The elder wolf sighed, resting her head on her paws again, "I'm so exhausted."

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

"Why does it have to be so damn cold?" Heart sneezed, "Damn it!" she huddled her crop-top coat closer to her body while hunching her head down in her shoulders while she walked the frosty streets of the island. Her layered shoulder length hair tossed about her in the strong wind that nipped and whipped at her as she walked, giving the wolf in human form no mercy for venturing out into its unforgiving element.

"Oi, Heart-Baby doll!" Heart paused for a moment to glare at the group of Zali's pack gathered around a fire lit in a metallic trash bin. She could feel irritation boil under her skin at the lustful looks she was given as the males of Zali's pack raked their heated eyes over her feminine body as if they were in heat, "You seem cold there darl'n," one of the larger males growled lowly in invitation.

"Why don'cha saunter that pretty ass over here and warm up near the fire with us, eh?" out of the seven of them, she recognized Mose. He was lower than a filthy human whore's puke after giving her clients a blow job to Heart. She could stand just barely to ignore him while he raved his beady eyes over her own body, but the impudent male had been leering after Akira lately as the young she-wolf started to bloom into adulthood. Even though Akira was older than the pup that ran with Tsume's pack, the red wolf was a bit of a late bloomer even in wolf-terms.

Heart didn't move towards them, "I don't associate with trash." She coldly brushed them off and started to walk away.

Mose grabbed a hold of her arm, "Cold words on a chilly night, aren't they, bitch?" he held a warning in his sultery tone.

Heart's red eyes glinted like hot blood in the small moonlight that filtered in through the mist as something silver caught Moses eye before she wrenched her arm out of his grasp and cocked the silver pistol that was suddenly resting against his forehead, "Don't you _dare_ touch me again." She seethed lowly.

Mose instinctively was terrified of guns, as were all wolves, "Where… where did you get the-the gun…???" Heart kicked him in the gut with enough force to knock him off his feet and fall back into his shocked pack of buddies.

"Lets get one thing straight, 'cause I don't think you understood the last time we crossed paths." Heart still held her gun towards them with a promising threat, "I am not one of your pack. I am not a touchable bitch for you. You will not come near myself, Shura, or Akira again or you will have silver poison from the bullet I lodge into your artery." She narrowed her eyes, "And depending on how much you piss me off- the bullet will go into your neck or near something that might get blown off before the poison sets in. Are we clear?"

Mose gritted his teeth as he shoved away from the helping hands of his buddies helping him stand up, "Where the hell do you get the authority to make demands of me?!" he growled as he started to approach her again, this time with the other six of his buddies behind him for back up.

A silver bullet ricocheted off the ground at their feet and lodged itself into the brick wall behind them with a resounding _CA-BANG! _barely grazing the shoulder of Mose's coat. It was enough of a warning to keep the pack of wolves away from the stray female holding a gun with silver bullets, which were poison to wolves if any kind of silver came into contact with their blood in an open wound.

"Next one will pierce someone's skull." She cocked the gun again while the barrel smoked from blasting the silver bullet just moments prior.

There were seconds of tension caught between Heart and the pack before the larger wolf that originally caught her attention backed down- Gunther, "No tail is worth silver-poison, Mose. Leave the bitch be." The large sand-brown wolf turned back to the fire. The other wolves hesitated turning their backs to the dangerous female with a silver-loaded gun, but one by one they followed suit. Mose was the last to turn his back on her, giving her a hard, promising glare before he snorted and tore his gaze away from her.

Heart waited only a moment before she sheathed her gun back into its holister strapped to her belt at her waist. She only spared the pack a passing glance before she continued on her way out of the alleys and back into the open roads. A whirlwind of scents bombarded her nostrils as the wind greeted her blast after blast of frost soon as she stepped out of the protection of the near-enclosed alleyway. She reverted to wolf form, using her thicker fur to stave off the cold instead of her feeble human skin when the scent of flowers had her ears perking up.

'Akira…' she was following her. the black wolf pinned her ears down to keep the wind out of them and lowered her head. The red she-wolf was probably out and about searching for Heart to make sure she didn't do anything stupid out of her anger, but Heart wasn't ready to face Akira, or anyone else at the moment. She needed time to think for herself. The sound of a train whistle startled her as she perked her ears again in the opposite direction- the station. The midnight train was leaving. It was the passenger train so the dogs weren't needed to load or unload cargo- the cargo trains arrived at dawn. Heart turned her face back to the wind that blew Akira's scent to regard it for a moment. Making a decision, the black wolf started towards the station, knowing that even the most seasoned trackers would lose her scent in the numerous mixtures of strong scents in the station, let alone a beginner like Akira.

'_She can't track a __**stink bug**_' Heart chuckled at the thought.

"Might as well get to work early." Heart thought aloud as she picked up her pace into an easy lope towards the station.

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

Akira whined as she sniffed once again around the ground near the train station. Heart's scent had been easy enough to follow up until this point until the station. Then it disappeared with in the strong scents of garbage, soot, human waste, dog, oil, practically all scents that made Akira's head spin were attacking her untrained nose near her. she completely lost Heart's scent and couldn't decipher if the she-wolf went inside the station or simply walked by the station to through Akira off the trail.

"Damn it!" The fox like wolf barked in frustration as she sat down on her haunches by the gate of the train station. She put her back to the wind to try and keep her face and nose from the frost it carried while pinning back her ears, "I'm a wolf aren't I? shouldn't tracking come to me… well, naturally?" she sighed with self-pity and a slight whine, "Maybe I should have asked the guys to help me track her down. They seem like they'd know how…." Akira imaged how Heart would react to finding that Akira not only tracked her down, but brought one of _them_ with her.

She shivered, able to imagine the red-eyed glare she'd get from a pissed-off she-wolf, "Then again, maybe its better I didn't anyways." She whimpered pitifully. She then shook her head of such degrading thoughts, "No, no, no." she snorted, forcing a stronger façade then she actually felt, "I can do this! I just have to take my time and figure out how to find her scent again, that's all." She stood up and then paused with a sudden thought.

'If she took the time to ward me off, Heart probably wants to be left alone for the night.' She sighed in defeat. Yep that's probably the case. Heart would only get more upset with Akira if she tried invading Heart's privacy. Giving one last worried glance at the station, Akira shook her fur as if she could shake off the chill and then started back to the Cemetery in the opposite direction, "I should see her in the morning, anyways. When I do, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind about how she went off on Tsume like that! Even Heat's above that kind of thing!" with renewed vigor, Akira trotted through the chill of the wind, seeking the back alley path ways to take back to the cemetery in hopes of avoiding the overwhelming bite of the wind.

Once within the safety of the close walls of the may alleyways and back roads, Akira fluffed up her fur and shook the frost off, feeling warmer now that she wasn't constantly buffeted by continuous wind, "Ahhh," she heaved a heavy satisfied sigh, "Much better." The metal of her dog chain choker and pendent still chilled her skin as they pressed pass her thick fur coat, but it brought a sense of comfort to her as it chinked about with each step her paws made on the cold ground.

She navigated her way as best she could through the maze of alleys, only knowing the general direction of the cemetery, "Hmmm, I think this way is the cemetery….," the she-wolf trotted up to the left and looked down the alley way filled with dull firelight. Her ears falling in disappointment when all she found was yet another dead end, "Nope, wrong again." She huffed, but her ears perked with interest as she looked closer at the other end of the alley. A group of wolves huddled around a trash can with a fire lit in it- that was the source of the light she had seen. They were all laying about with various wounds and battered fur as if they had just gotten out of a dog fight as they licked their sore wounds with pained whimpers.

"By the Moon!" she gasped and rushed down the alleyway, "Hey! Are you guys okay?? Do you need help with your wounds?"

"The alley's seem popular tonight, don't they…" one of the wolves groused at the third visitor they had coming to greet them.

"Great. First we get an anal bitch, then that insolent bastard picks a fight, and now this nosy brat gets in our fur." Gunther moaned as he lifted his head to see Akira trotting towards them conerened.

"Go home, brat." Mose quipped at Akira soon as she approached the small group of Zali's pack, "We don't have time to babysit."

"Wha-What happened? Who did this to you?" She ignored Mose, like Heart had always told her to, and proceeded to look over each of them, "These wounds are really, really deep, guys! Have you treated them with herbs yet? I'll go get some."

"Leave us be, runt." One of the runts rolled his eyes, "don't concern yourself where you're not involved."

Akira stiffened, hurt but also miffed that they still held predjudice against her since she wasn't part of their pack, but she stood her ground, "Then… who did this?" she pressed. The least she could do was drive off whatever stray did this to Zali's pack.

The other wolves growled lowly in anger at the mention of the perpetraitor of their pain, causing Akira to flinch away, "It was that damned white bastard! He came around here look'n for a fight!" one of the grunt wolves, Hank, said with a snarl, shrivling up the wounded across his muzzle and making him whine in the pain.

Akira tilted her head as her breath caught slightly, 'Do they mean Kiba?' she took a step back unsure. Was it really Kiba that was at fault or …. Or did these guys gang up on him? Akira never really ventured near the pack without Zali, Cole, or Heart close by. They always told her to be wary of the pack.

"Don't look so scared, girly," Mose snickered, "You think we're bad? He was traveling by himself and fought by himself, and guess what- He looks worse. We finally let him go when we figured he could barely walk." He shared a good laugh with his buddies at the thought of how Kiba had staggered away.

Something in Akira told her it was a lie. These wolves didn't seem the type to just let a single lone wolf go from a fight. They were too cruel to do that. Kiba must have had to immobilize them with these deep wounds to escape. She held her tongue, though, as she backed up another hesitant step.

"You sure you're all not hurt?" she asked only half concerned now as she looked over her shoulder, wandering if her nose would be enough to catch Kiba's scent.

"Just get back to that over weighted bitch of yours, Girly" Mose snorted.

Rage boiled in Akira. The young she-wolf never really had the opertunity to feel such an emotion, but now that it heated her blood and clouded her mind with violence, she could barely hold herself back from snarling at these crude dog filth that called themselves wolves. She opted for just twitching her upper lip instead. As she turned away from them.

Giving the ungrateful wolves an orange glare, Akira trotted back the way she came into the dead end and sniffed around the left over blood on the walls and streets of the mouth of the ally before she caught Kiba's injured scent. Feeling a sense of pride that she was able to pick up his scent, Akira burst into a run, following her nose filled with the metallic scent of iron and wolf of Kiba's blood.

Even if she hadn't been able to follow his scent, Kiba had left a trail of dripping blood behind that zigzagged along the paths he took. It didn't look like he could walk straight, "What did they do to him?" she wondered aloud. The blood trail took a hard right after a few blocks away from where it started in Mose's dead end alleyway, making Akira slide to a stop to peer down the alley. It was smaller and a lot darker than the others she'd been by, so her eyes had to adjust a bit. She once again felt weaker than the rest of her kind. Anyother wolf's eyes would have been fine with the differences in lighting, but her senses were too tamed and not as honed as most. When she was able to see clearly in the difference of lighting of the night, her orange eyes widened.

There was Kiba, lying on his side, sprawled on the ground at the very back of the dead end near a dumpster. A small spilling of blood saturated the ground around his body that didn't even appear to be breathing and a few rats were starting to wander near him, attracted to the scent of blood and an unmoving body.

"Kiba!" Akira bolted down the alley, chasing the rats away with a fierce warning snarl, "Get lost! Leave him alone!" she barked and snapped her jaws at the fleeing rats. When she was sure they were gone, she turned towards Kiba again, "Kiba," she looked him over, wincing at the reality of just how bad his wounds really were, but what scared her more was the fact that his chest wasn't moving, "Hey," she butted her head against his still body to try and rouse him, "Kiba, wake up. Its Akira." Still no response. She perked her ears and leaned towards him, unable to hear his breathing, "Kiba..?" she changed into human form, shivering at the instant chill she got without her fur. She held out a hand to his mouth and nose, to see if she could feel his breath at all….

Nothing.

"Oh no." she leaned over him, putting her ear to his chest and closed her eyes, hoping and praying that he wasn't dead. She growled in agrivation- she couldn't hear anything because her own heart was pounding too hard in anxiety, "Damn it!" she pressed two fingers against his pulse on his neck and waited….

THERE! It was faint, but he did have a pulse! He was alive!

"Why aren't you breathing!" she shook him again, but still no breathing, "Oh, no, oh, no, OH, NO!!!" she started panting as her own pulse shot up in fear, 'WHAT DO I DO??????'

"CPR! I'll give him CPR!" she remembered watching the humans train new recruits in the security division back in Freeze City CPR as part of their regulations. She forced herself to focus on remembering just how to administer CPR from what she mildy listend to before, "Ok, lets see- first, open his airway." She gently put her left palm on his damp forehead while her other hand lifted his chin forward, "Next close off nose," she stretched her fingers from holding down his forehead to also lightly pinching his nostrils closed so the air wouldn't escape, "Wait, wait- chest, THEN mouth-to-mouth! Got it!" she tugged his body away from the wall, then situated her knees on either side of his hips, being sure not to rest any weight on him as she made a fist on his chest and rythemically started to thrust down. After a few thrusts, she leaned down to check for breathing, "Come on!" she once again pinched his nose and held open his mouth, "Breathe!" she leaned down…

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

Kiba was slowly feeling himself get warmer. He had felt so cold before, he could only just remember stumbling away from those rougheons and down a secluded alleyway, planning to sleep off his wounds, but the night was too cold and the moisture of his own wounds were letting the chill past his thick coat as he slipped off to sleep, but now he felt warm. There was a pain in his chest he couldn't identify. It felt like something put a boulder on his chest and forced the air out of him.

A warm whoosh of air started to revive him. It filled his lungs once, then twice before it left him to the pain of his chest again. He wanted to reach out and bring that warm air back to him, to help him revitalize again, but surprisingly, after a few moments, the warm air was back, and so were his senses. One by own they returned to him.

Touch…. Warmth on his front, biting cold beneath him and at his sides. Pain.

Sound…. Someone was talking. It was muffled. He could hear rapid breathing, gasps of anxious breath.

Smell…. Flowers. He smelled flowers, like the scent that had been calling him, but there was a musk to it… wolf.

Taste…. He didn't know what it was, but he could taste something divine that he wasn't able to put a name to on his tongue.

Sight…. Red hair, flushed cheeks and a pair of worried orange eyes that widened when he was finally able to see them clearly.

"Kiba? Kiba can you hear me? It's Akira. Kiba can you speak??" she paused, crouching over him. Why was she practically straddling him.

Kiba licked his lips, noticing that they had more of that taste he noticed when he started to rouse. Where had that taste come from.

"Kiba??" his eyes had been locked on her own orange eyes, but they were suddenly drawn to her rosette colored lips that seemed puckered while she panted for breath- was that where the taste came from.

He didn't know why or how he found the strength to lift himself up, but Kiba suddenly propped himself on one elbow while his other hand darted up to grasp her behind the head, tangling in her waves of rusty red hair and brought her face down to meet his own, clashing her lips with his own.

There it was. This was the divinity he tasted before. Kiba moaned as he was briefly unaware of the pain he should be in while he induldged in the taste he was quickly finding to be his drug.

Akira was shocked. No shocked wasn't right. She was stunned into oblivion, unable to move, breathe, think for the precious few moments Kiba held her captive to himself. All she could do was feel Kiba plunder her mouth for more of her taste, startling herself when she answered his moan with a mewl. Then, just as it happened, Kiba fell back to the ground with a THUD, once again unconscious, but this time breathing, heavily might she add. A few more seconds passed before her own survival instinct kicked in a forced air into her lungs.

"Wh…wha…what ju-ju-just…" she mechanically looked down at the peacefully sleeping Kiba, now a white wolf lying on his side. His wounds should have been painful even in sleep, but Kiba looked like he was just sleeping off a mild cold.

She gulped down a swallow of air, "Oh dear heavens…" he just KISSED HER, "That… that was my…" she turned dark red as she looked away from him, "_THAT WAS MY FIRST KISS!_"

'_Let's take care of one pregnant gal at a time, kay?_' Hearts chuckling remark came back to haunt Akira. Her eyes took on a faraway look for a moment before she bolted up right, noticing she was still practically straddling the now wolf man, "GWWWWAH!" she back pedaled off him hastily, sitting across the small alley way from him, her back pressed against the cool brick wall, but her knees were still close to the white wolf's head regardless. The white wolf shifted in his sleep as the wet wounds let in more chill again, startling Akira when he moved, "This can't be happening!" she whined, reverting to wolf form to hide her flushed face.

The red wolf's orange eyes were trained on the white wolf as if he would wake up and jump her at any given moment, but she refused to leave him here alone as he was. He was still injured badly and her morals would never allow her to leave him unattended and injured with Mose and the others so close by. The wind kicked up and the white wolf shivered, his wet, bloodied fur did little to protect him from the cold and didn't go unnoticed by Akira.

Folding her ears to her head, Akira weighed her options and sighed in defeat, "I can't just revive him and then let him freeze to death like this." She moaned as she stood up and cautiously approached him. She took her time looking him over, wandering how she was going to share her warmth without touching him too much. She looked at his face, shying away a bit. She didn't want to lie with him face to face, that seemed too intimate for her. so she wedged herself behind him against the wall, her tail towards his head. She lay down, tucking her legs under herself and resting her head on his hip, hoping it didn't hurt him. After a moment, his slight shivers stopped and he started arching his back into her warmth. Akira looked away from him, not wanting to look at him in her embarrassment.

Her nose twitched at the stench of infection in a few of his wounds so she found herself licking at them with her wolf tongue to try and neutralize it.

She eventually started to drift off with her muzzle buried in his thick white fur, barely noticing when Kiba started to wake up a bit.

"Why….why did you help me?" he whispered, not moving from laying on his side snuggled up to her fur.

"I…felt drawn to you…. To help…you…" she drifted off.

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

Tsume and Toboe wandered around aimlessly until they reached the train station. It was a large building with easy access for any animal that happened to wander by and the two male wolves easily slipped in the fire escape and too advantage of the warmth inside the station.

"What do you say we crash here?" Tsume wasn't asking as he kicked up his feet and lounged on the bench to rest in human form.

Toboe watched the older wolf get comfortable before he looked away sadly, padding his way in wolf form towards the track dock not far off from the bench Tsume claimed as his bed for the night, "We're all really breaking apart, aren't we?" the young wolf sighed as he sat on his haunches and lowered his head. His chestnut brown furry tail curled over beside him as the pup looked so heart broken just sitting there with his back to his companion, "Hige seems so happy here now with Cole and the others now, but Kiba… he never came back- He's left us now, hasn't he Tsume? Will we leave too? Will we go away?" the pup turned his honey eyes to look back at the suddenly very still grey wolf in human form.

Tsume was caught off guard and didn't answer a minute before he answered with his usual tough guy voice. His golden eyes were hidden behind the dark shades he carried around, but they were wide with startlement. He then relaxed, easing the tension out of his muscles and snorted his reply, "Tch, who knows. If we are or aren't, it isn't my problem. I'm leaving tomorrow. You can stay or go just like the others, but I don't care." His air of indifference was flawless.

"So you don't care if your pack never sees each other again?" Tsume sat up alert when he heard and suddenly sensed the she-wolf that sat on a couple of large crates further down in the big railway platform. Her human form sat with her legs crossed at the knee and hanging over the side of the crates while her short layered hair lightly played around her in the light draft of the large areana. Her red eyes didn't seem as harsh as they had been when they all first met earlier. Now she seemed cautiously skeptical of them with a hint of interest. Tsume had to ignore the way her lithe body seemed more toned and mature after seven years. She still provoked him in many ways that annoyed him to no end.

Toboe perked up when he saw her too, "Heart?" the young wolf stood up on all four paws and turned his body towards her curiously.

"So did you decide to follow us and chew me out again, bitch?" Tsume growled, still a little peeved at what she did before. He folded his arms behind his head and made himself appear more comfortable, "Besides, we never were a pack."

"Of course you boys were a pack- what else would you call four wolves traveling together?" Heart grimaced and leapt down from the crates to approach them, clearing her throat, "Look, I didn't mean to come at you so strong like that. Its just ….. It all added up in that moment I guess and I couldn't hold on to my anger any longer at what has happened. When I saw you, I just let it loose with out thinking." She admitted and tucked her hair behind her ear avoiding Tsumes eyes as she muttered, "I'm sorry, okay?"

"You should just let your anger out as it comes to you." Tsume chided, "Then you won't have to hold it in like this. If you let it out, it gets the point across to people, doesn't it?"

Heart blinked surprised that he was actually taking her apology in stride like this and even giving her advice! He had changed. She had to catch herself before she started just gaping her mouth at him in her awed confusion. She shook her head to dispel those thoughts that ran wild in her mind.

"You know I can't do that." She sighed with a grateful smile that he didn't try to accuse her any further than what damage has already brought. She sat down on the other end of the bench and looked back between the two of them, "So, where's Fuzzy and Mr. Serious?"

She noticed Toboe's crestfallen look, "We separated after you left. We don't even have a destination now." He sadly confessed as he walked closer to her and Tsume and sat once more on his haunches before them.

"Destination? Where were you boys heading to anyways?" she asked.

"Paradise." Toboe answered.

"Paradise?" Heart tested it out on her tongue, "Sounds like you boys still have a destination."

"But the others said it's not real. That path killed a lot of wolves!" Toboe said.

"And who says it's the way to paradise?" Heart shrugged, running a hand through her short fluff of black hair, "don't tell me you're having second thoughts just because of Zali and his own pack didn't make it. I don't know if it's the road to paradise or not, but what if it's just like a road that leads to the actual way to paradise? Like some sort of short cut or something? Think about it, if it really was paradise, would the rest of us just give up 'cause a few of us got unlucky? Yet that drive to get there is still ingrained in every one of us. Just as it is both of you." She accused.

"You're saying there's another way to paradise?" Tsume asked.

"I'm not saying anything. I just think it's stupid for you to give up so quickly because a few wolves died in the same area paradise happens to cross. If it's not real, why do you feel so drawn to it?" Heart asked.

She had a knack for using the power of suggestion on people like this. By the looks on Toboe's face, it once again worked. Even Tsume was rethinking his decision. She absently wondered why she cared so much if these guys gave up on their dreams or not? Why did it matter to her so much?

"Look we'll deal with the others tomorrow morning, but for now, I wanna get some shut eye." Tsume yawned and slumped back down on his bench, flipping down his shades to hide his eyes from their sight.

Heart rolled her eyes, "It figures a lazy ass like you would say that." She grinned teasingly.

"Shut up bitch and leave me alone to sleep." Tsume said as if he'd said it millions of times before. It wasn't meant to offend her.

Toboe and Heart shared a knowing smile as the gray wolf turned his back to them on the bench he claimed. Soon as his breathing evened out, his human body gave way to that of his wolf form and the gray fur of the large, scared wolf lay curled up with its back still faced to them on the bench. Toboe was already in wolf form as he stared up at the moon, wanting to howl at it, but feeling content enough to just watch it in silence as he bathed in the moonlight that filtered in through the roof-windows above. Heart eased into her own wolf form as well to retain better heat. She stretched out on the bench and rested her head on the side of her fore arm, lazily staring blankly in Toboe's direction. One of her ears pointed forward when she heard him try to sing to the moon softly with his wolfs voice and as she grew more drowsy, Toboe's pretty melodic voice grew stronger and eventually lulled her to sleep while the young wolf howled at the moon.

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The sun has tried and failed for years to peak through thick clouds that covered earth lately, but despite that, the greatest star of this universe found a way to seep in its light through the darkness and disturb Kiba from slumber-land induced dreams. The white wolf must have reverted to wolf form sometime during the night- not uncommon for his kind to do so while sleeping, so he paid little mind to just why he was waking up as a wolf. He gave a wide, canine yawn, stretching what muscles he could while laying down on his side. His wounds healed over night, but the general areas were still very sore and caused him to groan, "Damn thuggish, cowardly dogs." He mumbled under his breath. His ear twitched when he felt something missing from last night.

'The female… the one with that scent like Cheza's…. Akira!' he thought while his golden eyes quickly snapped open and sought her out as he sat up. When he didn't see her, the white wolf heaved himself up to all fours and turned his head in all directions, trying to find a hint of her, "Where is she?" the white wolf tilted his head. He'd never felt any female that close in a long time, especially one he enjoyed the smell of so much. His tongue could even remember her taste- one that made his mouth water… wait, 'Taste??' he tilt his head troubled, 'Why do I remember her taste?'

His nose twitched in surprise as he turned his head close to his body, finding that her scent was still fresh on his own fur. The heavenly scent made his hackles tingle and his tail unconsciously wag softly, but it was still a bit stale on his fur- meaning she had only just left him a while ago. But where and why did she leave?

'Well she has to have a life here,' Kiba thought in slight disgust at his sudden overwhelming interest in this female with the flower's scent, 'She must have left to go on living it.' But her taste and smell were still so strong to him, so drugging, that he wanted to find it again, if only just once….

It was then that the wind drifted to him and he over heard a train whistle, loud and piercing. Her delectable scent carried in the same gust of wind that had Kiba's head snapping in that direction towards her and his mouth water in anticipation. He quickly caught himself and shook those thoughts from his head, still wandering how he got her taste in his mouth….

She was at the station- he knew that at least. Curious to know why she was there, the white wolf jogged out of the alleyway and into the streets, discreetly reverting to his human form half-way and then slipping in with the long line of humans to get into the station.

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"Morning, kid," Heart greeted the foxy she-wolf as the small red-wolf padded up in her wolf form up to large pack of wolves surrounding Zali in his human for, waiting for the humans to put them to work, "I was beginning to think you'd skip today. You're later than usual." The black wolf curved her neck to come nose-to-nose with her friend in a formal greeting their kind did in wolf form, both tails wagged happy to see each other. However, Heart noticed that Akira was being very shy about something today…. She wouldn't look Heart in the eye at all as if she didn't want Heart to find out something.

Just as the black wolf was about to question the red wolf, Zali cleared his throat when the humans nodded to him that they were ready to hitch up the 'dogs' he brought. He signaled to the rest of the pack along with Heart and Akira that it was time to go and like a unit, the large sum of wolves approached their designated harness that lay on the ground and waited for a human to come by and hitch it up to them for the work load of the day.

Akira's ears folded to her head shyly as she allowed one of the humans to slip her harness on and stepped into the leg straps as she took her spot beside the old wolf from the cemetery last night; a few spots behind Heart, "I over slept." She excused, still not wanting to look her in the eye.

"I didn't see you go back to the graveyard last night when you left the rest of the pack." The old one commented out of the blue. The whiskers in his ears ruffled as he twitched his ears curiously.

Akira's fur stood on end stiffly. She just KNEW Heart was sending her one of her sly- demonish- smirking eyes and could even almost feel the mischievous glint in the other she-wolfs eyes as Heart chimed a bit too innocently, "Oh, so you didn't go back? Gee, I wander what could have distracted you so much to keep you from Shura….," she smirked in her wolf-like way.

Akira's ears plastered themselves to her skull and her head arched downward embarrassed for a moment before she regained her composure, "What about you? You shook me off your trail for a reason didn't you? Could it be that you're seeing someone secretly?" Akira snickered as her ears perked up, wanting rebuke Heart for earlier.

Zali walked by his pack as they got ready for their work for the morning in the dog sled harnesses in his human form. He paused by Heart and gave her and Akira a serious look that said not to fool around while he clasped his hands behind his back like a prospector observing his underlings.

"You're here to work, not chat." He said with out a second thought and continued on down the good sized line of dogs to hand the straps to the human who hooked it up to the large load, making it seem as if he were just an animal tamer over seeing his charges.

The other men took their places around the team of dogs to herd them in the right direction when they start to pull.

"Alright! Get'em moving!" a man shouted. Another man with a leather bullwhip at the old one's side snapped the vile weapon to signal the wolves to move.

Akira and the others put their weight into dragging the load up the steep ramp way up to the main platform.

Gramps was panting more than usual at her side and Akira started pulling closer to him to help give the old guy some sort of relief, "You okay over there?"

"Oh-pant-just….-pant, pant- fine," was her reply as Gramps hung out his tongue in fatigue, "Just not as …. Pant, pant, pant- young as I use to …..Be"

"Well rest easy, Gramps, we're at the resting point so you can catch your breath now." Akira sighed when the man who was in charge shouted at the others to let the dogs rest at the leveled out area before tackling another steep ramp.

"Through out the scraps now and well give'em the rest after we get this loaded." The head man said and another one came up and threw a bucket's worth of meat scraps at the wolves.

Heart snarled when one of the other wolves dared try to consume a hefty piece that landed in front of her before viciously ripping into the gamey meat offered with a growl. She looks feral in all respects when it came to eating amongst the pack. Akira tried to do the same, but she was a push over compared to the way Heart forced her way above all else. However, Mose dirtily stole a piece of meat Gramps had been waiting for and was about to do it again since everyone else gave pity to the old wolf and didn't bother him. Gramps could barely see as it was and didn't see the younger wolf snatch each piece away until it was gone with the thief smirking.

Akira snarled as the wolf tried it again, "Stop picking on him!" she demanded, curling her upper lip in warning as her tail stood up behind her like a red flag.

Mose turned to her. He was in the harness in front of Gramps, "And who are you to tell me what I can and can't do, girly?" he spat back, spitting bits of meat he was greedily consuming all over the place as he did.

Akira's snarl became a full out death growl as her upper lip curled back to reveal her white pearly fangs that had yet to taste human blood or other wolf flesh in the heat of a fight for that matter, but she was willing to cut that small habit short with this prick's blood. Who stole from the elderly?!

"Ohh, look, she's showing off her teeth, I'm pissing the floor already!" Mose snorted and received a few snickers from the others. He yelped in fear when the dark wolf in front of him lunged at him with a death intent if not for her leather restraints that held her a breaths away from letting her fangs and claws rip into his flesh as she snarled at him.

"I WARNED YOU-!" Heart roared as she snapped at him, making the coward truly nearly piss himself, remembering that as a human, this female carried silver bullet guns.

A whip cracked and made the wolves flinch back to reality as the men shouted at them to stop their behavior and once again they were on their way up the steep hill.

Akira was even more worried about Gramps now. He didn't get food so he didn't get the small energy boost it usually gave him, and it was showing as he stumbled over himself.

"G-gramps?" she whimpered and tried her best to help hold him up in their connected harness, "Come on gramps! Stop fooling around, we're almost ther-," suddenly gramps fell to the floor with a heavy exhale of air. With him laying there, she had to stop at his side since her harness was connected to his.

"GRAMPS!" she barked in alarm.

The whip cracked near Gramps to try and jolt him to standing up again. The old wolf tried to stand, but soon as he got to his front paws, he stumbled to the ground once more with a low whimper in pain.

Akira nudged him when he didn't try again, "Gramps! Come on! Get up!" she begged fear written all over her features. She stepped back from the gray wolf that lay motionless on the ground, "C-come on….," she whimpered.

By now, the others were forced to stop as well. The humans were calling the higher ups in to tell them what to do now.

Akira wasn't use to so much commotion. The only other time something this confusing and out of order happened was when her father died and Jazz was separated from them. She was breathing hard as she tried not to have a nervous break down, but was on the losing end.

"Akira! What's going on?" Heart called. The other wolves that couldn't see him from the crowd and confusion were also curious.

Mose then spoke those fateful words that set the she-wolf over the edge, "The old bastard died because he had a hybrid to take up slack for even in his weakened state,"

"YOU!" She snarled and bared her fangs. Unlike Heart's, Akira's and Mose's harnesses were close together and they were able to reach each other at ease, "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING LITTLE COWARDLY BASTARD!" with that, the she wolf lunged at the older wolf and angry barks and yelps let lose as an all out dog fight was wedged between the two wolves.

Akira bit at Mose's neck, going on instinct on how to hurt him, her teethe were just short of sinking into flesh before she was roughly tackled off by the larger wolf next to Mose, tangling the 3 wolves straps together and pulling all three of them too close for comfort as they bit and scratched at one another viciously to get away.

The humans were too busy over taking a 'stray loose dog' that Zali had been restraining, but now that he was free, Zali kicked the other two larger wolves off of Akira and restrained the smaller hybrid from further attacking them as she scratched at his arms, wanting more than anything to finish what she's started and rip that stupid dipshits neck in 2!

"AKIRA! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!" Zali commanded her as his hold on her became tighter the more she struggled, but she was so far gone, Akira didn't recognize his voice and turned on him. She sank her fangs into his arm, tasting wolfs blood for the first time and she didn't even realize it.

Zali gritted his teeth in pain and threw the crazed hybrid off him. Akira's world went black as she failed to recover her fall down the ramp they'd just pulled the large load and slammed into the crates below.

The last thing she saw was a blur of white rushing at Zali….

A/N- I seriously thought this one would come out muuuuch earlier than this. Soooo sorry about that, but college tends to carry you away at times. I have a good few weeks off for Summer, so I will do my best to get a few chapters edited and out there, but this next week is finals and THEN Christmas Break hits, so hang tight everyone ^_^ Happy Holidays if I don't get to say so before they are over.

**Reviews:**

**Venom:** Yes, I am alive! I'm happy you're enjoying it so much, tell Carnage I hope to hear from him soon ^_^

**Wolfsbane**: I have always loved your screen name ever since I read the book "The Sight"! I agree with the whole thing about writing about Akira's family in the beginning. I wanted to establish them a bit better, so I wrote them that way, but does it seem like the prolog could get a bit better?? There are scenes of Heart and Tsume coming up, but their relationship is a lot more reluctant than Kiba's and Akiras so I'm still going to drag them out a bit (grins evilly)

**PussycatLover**: I seriously forgot that I never described them in human form! I felt like a total idiot when I went back and started editing, actually, now that I'm editing and yet again, RE-editing I find that I was and still am making stupid flops! Lol I get it straightened out some day I suppose. And have no fear, chapters eleven and eighteen are going to be super special ones (grins), the prolog before sucked anyways. I wrote it when I was twelve to be honest, and now I'll be twenty next month, so there's no offence or shame in admitting it sucked before! Lol

**KillerHotFeline**: (stares oddly) why were u yanking off PussycatLover's tail?? 0.0…. lol! I'm happy your lovin the story so much, and proud my fic is curing your boredom of other fics. Honestly I agree. I was getting bored of reading boring fics too! That's why I was like- you know, I'm older now, and not afraid to write better (grinned mischieviously) I think I'll juice up the WolfsRain story again! Lol

**Amber**: you are SOOOOOO loved for being the first to re-read the fic's edits! (haggles!!)

End-Note: I LOVE YOU ALL! HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND NEWYEARS!!!

-Dessy-san


	4. Chapter 3 Guilt Goes Well With Pain

**A/N- (Second up load) Ooooh snap! I uploaded this chapter then checked on the previous version of it and realized with horror- I MISSED A WHOLE SCENE AT THE END!! EEEK GASP! Lol So, I went back, rewrote that part of the chapter, added it and now I'm posting again! Sorry about that guys! Lol! **

**HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!**

_I tear my heart open _

_I sew myself shut_

_My weakness says_

_That I care too much_

_And my scars remind me_

_That the past is real_

_I tear my heart open _

_Just to fail_

_**Scars- Papa Roach**_

Chapter 3 Guilt goes well with Pain

"LOOSE DOG!"

"WELL, WHAT THE HELL ARE YA STANDIN THERE FOR, GET IT!"

"SECURE THE PRODUCTS!"

Conner sighed, tugging his cap further down his forehead as he sent his men to split up from managing the sudden dog fight, taking care of the old one that died and sending a few more men to help Zali, the dog man, to get rid of the stray that went berserk, "The hell is going on here lately?" he looked back at the dogs that were fighting. It had been the red female that broke loose. She apparently set off one of the males, and that in itself would cause a chain reaction, "Must be another female-gone-in-heat." He was surprised Zali had managed to knock the female out of the way, then intercept the crazy stray before it got close to the pack of dogs they used for loading and unloading stocks.

"Zali, you alright there, man?" Conner approached the scruffy middle aged dog-trainer.

Zali's wide brown-hazel eyes seemed to search for something around Conner, "Yeah, it was just a bit of a scuffle with the dogs is all." He gave a hard look at his 'dogs' as they tucked their tails and backed off submissively, none daring to bare teeth or show any signs of aggression. Conner was always amazed at how well this man trained his animals.

"None of your females are in heat, are they?"

Zali's head jerked back to look Conner in the face, almost as if he were taken off guard, "What?"

"The fight with the little red female. She set the males off because she was in heat right?" Conner smiled knowingly, "Eh, even human bitches go through this kinda thing. No worries, boy." He clapped Zali on the shoulder, not noticing Zali's grimace at being touched by a human, "We'll unhitch the females for you since there's only two and let you and your dogs go after this last load. We'll even dispose of the stray and the dead one."

"No that's fine. I'll handle them myself." Zali's tone didn't leave room to argue as he turned so he could look at the white stray being held back by three young travelers, '_At least his packmates know when to restrain their friend._' He thought and nodded Conner his dismissal as he turned to walk away from him towards the boys. As he passed, he saw Akira's body laying still in the broken crates a level below the one the dogs were on from the loading ramp. He paused in his step to address the boys, "Take him to the cemetery and if you want him to live…. Keep him there until my pack meets you there. Your judgment will be trialed then."

He walked pass them briskly, hurrying towards the crates and digging his way through them to get to the small red furry body. A sigh of relief washed over him- no blood, other than a few bite wounds and claw marks that were shallow enough to heal by night fall.

"How is she?" Zali turned towards the voice behind him, Akira tucked in his arms bridal style with her face contorting in pain.

"Heart…" Zali growled warning, "Did you transform in front of the-,"

"No." Heart's cold voice cut him off as she walked with purposeful strides towards him, gently insisting that he let her go as she took Akira into her own arms.

"I can carry-,"

"You and your pack have done enough for her." Heart's voice was deadly. Stopping Zali in his tracks as he started to follow after her to try and help.

Her words stung him and he felt a surge of anger that she was accusing his pack for doing this to Akira, "My pack may not accept you or the others, but you all are under my protection. It will just take some time for them to-,"

"We are _not_ your pack, Zali." Heart's voice cut him deeper this time as she turned, leveling him with her cold red eyes, "Knowing this, you will also do well to forbid your _pack_ from coming near _our_ den. If they do, I have every right to burry silver in their skulls out of protection." With that, the black she-wolf in human form faded from his sight through the smoke and fog of the station as she carried Akira back to their den, away from _his_ pack.

Zali could only stand there dumbfounded, staring after her even when he could no longer see her. He balled up his fist and gritted his teeth, a low growl rumbling in his throat too low for human ears, but more than loud enough for any wolf-blood to notice in the noisy station. Cole stood on the balcony of the fourth floor, overlooking the train and the lower loading docks below. Her tear filled eyes watched her mate down below as he was forced to put his own pack before those young women, Akira and Heart when he knew that they deserved his help more than his own subordinates did.

'This pack…' Cole's deep purple eyes drifted from the pained alpha male to his pack that still acted like the pack of dogs they were as they pulled their backs out for food and then greedily fought amongst themselves for it, 'We're not fit for paradise any more. We can't drag them down as well.' She turned away from the station, unable to face reality just yet.

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"Heavens what's happened?" Shura perked her ears up when Heart woke her up laying Akira's unconscious wolf form next to her step-mother. The mother wolf lightly nosed her daughters ruffled fur and pulled back, "Blood? Where did she get these wounds?" she turned her innocently searching eyes on Heart. Those violet eyes struck Heart deeply. They were so full of concern and worry, such motherly innocents that it made Heart feel that she failed the elder wolf's trust to look after her pup. She turned her own red eyes away, choosing instead to look over Akira's body and asses the total damage done.

"She got into a scuffle at the station, Shura." She vaguely answered, avoiding Shuras insistent gaze as her gentle hands tested Akira's canine body for tenderness and blood. Her fur was already blood red and thick, it was often hard to pinpoint where wounds were without resorting to touching them when Akira was in this form.

"Heart…" Shura whined pleadingly. Wanting the other she-wolf to give it to her straight, least she worry herself over what really happened to her daughter, "Please, don't withhold things from me because you think I can't handle it." Heart made the mistake of letting the wolf catch her gaze and hold it. Her will was no match for Shura's overwhelming motherly compassion and concern.

Heart sighed in defeat, "Back at the station… the Old One collapsed."

"Atsu?" Shura's ears flopped when Heart nodded her confirmation, "He was such a nice old one. He stayed with us when we first arrived, remember?" Heart nodded again, "So he collapsed…. And Akira…?"

This time Heart didn't look her in the eye, "Before he collapsed… Mose stole food from him during our break. He was weak on the second shift because he hadn't eaten since yesterday, and when he did… I didn't hear what he said, but Mose said something and Akira snapped. She attacked Mose and the pack retaliated around us. Zali had to break up the fight, and … well…" Heart heaved a big breath from her lungs, "Akira attacked him."

Shura's eyes drifted from Heart to her daughter Akira at her side, staring at her in concerned wonder, "She… that's the first I've ever heard of Akira attacking anyone. Did she draw blood?" she looked back up to Heart, her violet eyes wide as if she were scared.

"Zali has the smell of his own blood on him, but I didn't see the wound." Heart admitted, wondering why bloodshed would be much of a difference.

"It's her first taste of blood then. Oh, poor Akira. She must be so confused now." Shura turned sad eyes back to her daughter as she lowered her head so her nose could touch the other wolf's fur, "We sheltered her very well back in Freeze City, because she never needed to know how to fight, or track, or kill."

Heart looked down to Akira's body with new found guilt, "Shura… I-," Heart's eyes darted back to Shura in alarm when she heard hacking sounds, "Shura??"

"I-It's the blood," Shura gulped as she jerked her nose away from Akira's body with a low whine, "The p-pu-pups don't like the sm-smell of blood." Her body instinctively tried to get away from the scent that was causing the pups in her womb to give her pain in their stress.

Heart quickly scooped up Akira again, "I'll take care of Akira." She said, turning to leave quickly.

"N-no!" Shura wanted to stand, but her condition made her very weak. She whimpered as her stomach sent painful surges through her body as it protested such movement at this stage of her pregnancy, "Let her st-stay here. My daughter-,"

"You would only hurt her more if she found out her smell was making you ill." Heart admonished, "I will take her downwind of you, away from here and the pack so you will rest in peace. We will return by tomorrow afternoon when her wounds are fully healed again."

"B-but…" Shura felt torn.

"Shura… she will be fine. I give you my word as a wolf." Heart bowed her head when she uttered the customary oath all wolves abided by. When a wolf gave their word like that, they would keep it or sin to break it. It was sacred to them.

Reluctantly, Shura sat back again and nodded for Heart to take her daughter away. With a forlorn sigh, she set her head back down on her paws, "Sasuke…" she whined softly, "Your daughter needs you. Why did you have to go…?" she let a stray tear fall down her cheek as she thought of her mate, "Sasuke…"

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"The old guy is really truly dead isn't he?" Gunner sighed as he and three other wolves of the pack, including Zali and Mose, lowered the old wolf, Atsu, into the grave the poor fool dug himself, "He was up and kickin just last night too."

"The coot deserved to die for his weakness." Mose gritted through his teeth as he kicked in the dirt to cover the old wolf, "He was bringin down our pack with his weakness. Now our workload will go faster without him holding us back."

"How can you say that about your packmate that just died!" Hige barked. The four wolves that were burying their friend felt their hackles rise at the stupid pups chiding voice. All but Zali turned on them with threatening intent.

"It doesn't matter- he never was pack! He was omega!" Kent, the third wolf among the four snarled back, ready for a fight again. After the outburst the little red bitch issued this morning, he was itching for another one to break out since he was left out of the earlier one.

"Cold hearted bastards!" Kiba growled as he sat on the ground before his pack. His wounds smarted from this morning, and left him weak, but he knew he could take on such cowards again, "You're more of a pack of dogs with the way you're so self-centered around your way of life here!"

"Fuckin snot nosed CUNT!" Mose snapped as he took on his wolf form, "Just remember it was your own fuckin mouth's rambling that caused your death!"

"MOSE!" Zali's barked demand froze the three males of his pack. It was a commanding voice Zali only used to assert himself as alpha and demand their obedience, "Take the others and go home. I'll take care of these pups." He ordered calmly.

"Zali-,"

"Now." Both alpha and beta stared at one another in a battle of wills, but it was a short and easy win for Zali. Though Mose may be beta, Zali's status of Alpha was far stronger and unmatched by any in the pack. Mose didn't have enough backbone in him to challenge the over powering alpha.

"Fine… I fuckin get the picture." Mose snorted as he jerked his body around, giving the boys his back as he barked at the other two males to follow. As he passed by Zali, he whispered lowly, "Putting these kids and those bitches before your pack like this will get you nowhere but mutiny. Don't come crying to me when the pack doesn't see you fit to be Alpha anymore." And with that Mose and the other two were gone while Zali watched them leave stiffly. He almost believed his beta would turn on him NOW and come racing back to challenge him and the boys.

After a few moments, Zali let himself relax, knowing that if Mose was going to turn and attack, he wouldn't have had the patience to wait long enough for an ambush.

'_Putting these kids and those bitches before your pack like this will get you nowhere but mutiny.'_ He had said…

'Akira.' A wave of guilt hit the middle aged wolf. He had put the pack before her already when he acted on instinct and threw her away from his pack. His instincts saw her as the threat and did what any alpha would do when the threat happened to be in the middle of his pack- get it away. Now she was hurt, probably unconscious, and left him another wound to worry about on his arm where she bit him. His right hand unconsciously covered the hidden wound in the memory

He promised Shura he wouldn't let harm come to her or her small pack of fugitives while they stayed on his island, and what does he do- knock out her daughter that went berserk. Granted- Mose was the reason and Mose was known for taking things too far. In truth, Zali didn't condemn her for attacking Mose. He hated himself for acting with out of instinct instead of acting for what was for the best.

"I told you not to get in my packs way, didn't I?" Zali didn't even bother looking at the boys as he turned his head to the moon, trying to calm down his irritation and remain level headed, "And yet you do the opposite and get in the way. Repeatedly."

"How can we stand by and ignore what they're doing? What they did to the old man- stealing his food and such and then going and having prejudice against Akira and the others?" Kiba challenged with a snarl as he started to stand to be level with the other Alpha male.

"Kiba, your wounds…" Toboe rushed to Kiba's side to try and stop him from standing. At the young boy's touch, Kiba's body hesitated and he lowered back down to sit again before he collapsed in front of Zali. His blue eyes full of the hated anger blazing at Zali's back.

Zali sighed as his gaze slowly fell to give one last look at Atsu's grave before turning his attention to the four boys behind him, "I told you, this island has a different way of doing things around here." He said calmly, "We work together with the humans and amongst ourselves to survive. Akira, Heart and Shura were well aware of this when they first arrived and we welcomed them into that life to survive here."

"I could really see the team work when you merely jerked Akira away from the fight and then threw her down the ramp to get her off you in her moment of confusion," Kiba spat sarcastically as his fangs lengthened in his human mouth.

"She was a danger to everyone around her! A danger to herself, even!" Zali defended, "I had to get her away from them, but she was so out of her mind that she attacked me too- I just overreacted. That's all." He had to count backwards as his anger rose at the young one's taunts. It was already a sore topic for him. He knew he was wrong, but he didn't need this pup shoving it in his face!

"So you throw her away?!" Hige backed Kiba, "She was defending the old man's honor! You should have thrown that other bastard she lashed at down the ramp!"

"Grrr…Listen you-!" Zali snarled as he gritted his teeth to the point of pain, 'Ah, shit… ten…nine….eight…' he started counting backwards again like Cole had told him to do to help his temper.

But, the dumbass just HAD to start talking again…."Being the humans _dogs _by working for them and clinging to this wretched place," Kiba spat with disgust, "What kind of life is that? You're just a bunch of old strays that are too weak to carry on to paradise so you settle for slavery instead!"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT!" Zali roared as his anger slipped. Screw counting. Zali stood to his full height and made sure to use every ounce of his posture to show them just who was alpha here- they were on HIS turf. Questioning his pack was NOT an option.

Kiba didn't back down, however. Instead he just arose to the challenge with a snarl, "You're pathetic!" he snapped though elongated fangs, making it slightly harder to talk in this form, "You call yourselves wolves, even?"

Zali's growl rumbled deeply in his thick chest at the insult, but his mind suddenly heard a different voice that had said those words.

'_This is how you guys have to survive out here?' _ She had asked with troubled orange eyes, '_It really seems pathetic doesn't it?'_

Akira had said that, hadn't she? Though not exactly in the same meaning as this brat had…

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**Flashback ooo000OOO**

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"The place is really a dump isn't it?" the black haired she-wolf snorted in disgust as she followed with her younger red-head companion behind Zali on their way through the station, "I've been through dog pounds that looked better."

Why was he doing this again? Zali sighed in exasperation, "It's a train station…"

"Still, it's a human hot-spot. Don't they like clean things?" she pouted.

"Not around here."

"Hmph." She stuck her nose in the air dismissively, "Not only does it stink here, but the humans are even more filthy than normal. I wonder how much better the wolves could possibly be?"

"Heart…" Akira pleaded with bright orange eyes while Zali grumbled about needy bitches under his breath, "We have nowhere else to go and Zali was kind enough to get us this job for food, and with Shura…"

"Fine, fine, fine." Heart batted her hand in the air dismissively, "Enough with the soap opera story line. What are we here to do?"

Zali approached the balcony and looked down before turning towards them, signaling for them to do the same, "Ladies, welcome to your new job." He nodded down to the scene bellow.

The girls were silent as they took in the sight of a team of dogs- his pack- harnessed in dog chains and pulling load after load of human cargo shipping's to and from the train cars. Up and down the ramp they slowly trudged, driven or stopped by sharp snapping bull whips that sometimes nipped at their paws to make them go faster.

Heart turned slowly to look back up at Zali with a cocked brow and dry-expression eyes, "You're joking right?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Zali gave her dry look right back.

"Humans using wolves as… as… loading animals?" Akira turned her confused orange eyes up to Zali like a child would to an adult when they witness something they don't understand, "It seems like a lot of work- hard work, and the humans aren't even asking them nicely." She wandered her eyes back to the pack below curiously.

"It's a job."

"Wolves don't do jobs- not for humans." Heart snorted.

"They think they're dogs."

"What?!" Heart barked in anger.

"Heart, really- it's not so bad!" Akira rose to Zali's defense, much to his surprise, "Shura and I worked for humans in Freeze City with Jazz and Papa- it's not wrong for them to do that!"

"You worked as police dogs." Heart pointed out before turning hard eyes on Zali, "Not SLAVES."

"It's all we can do to survive out here." Zali rolled his eyes at Heart's indignant attitude.

"All you need is food and water to survive!" Heart argued, "Work for survival is a human-trade."

"There is NO food or water here other than through what we're doing in the station." Zali explained quipped.

That shut the red-eyed fired wolf up pretty well. Heart and Zali had a few moments of a glaring contest before she put a hand to Akira's shoulder and tugged her away from Zali, "Come on Akira, let's go back to Shura and get out of here."

"But Heart, there's NOWHERE to go! Shura needs food NOW."

"We'll find another way-,"

"No." Akira shrugged away from Heart, then turned to Zali, "I'll work this way for food. It sounds like a fair trade."

"Fair??" Heart gawked, "Akira.."

But Akira wasn't listening, "Zali, please, sign me up for this 'job'."

Zali analyzed her critically, "I can tell you still don't believe in this way of life, why lower yourself as a wolf and do it anyways?" he challenged.

"I will do anything to ensure Shura's survival." Akira's orange eyes looked him in the eye unwaveringly. If she was of his pack, it would have been an insult to have a lower rank meet his eye, but her boldness tugged at his curiosity. She was too young to assume an alpha-female position. Heart was the obvious fighter of the two, but here this young red wolf stared him in the eye as if they were equals, "Even if it means trying out a pathetic life style like your own."

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

**ooo000OOO End of Flashback**

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

Those words had belted him then. He was so struck back that Akira didn't even seem to have the mindset of a wolf he hadn't known what to think of her at that time. She was stubborn- plenty, but she didn't let her 'wolf-pride' get in the way of her survival. She didn't judge others based on an ancient code none of them dared to break, but rather lived on her own code. She even accepted his pack's way of life rather quickly and worked alongside them without complain… she stood out and brought an air of the unexpected humanistic quality to life.

But looking at this pup, Kiba… the young man still held his human form stubbornly, refusing to revert to wolf form for the sake of relief from his wounds. His blue eyes and body posture challenged him openly, though he was wounded and in pain. Zali knew he wouldn't accept this way of life. He never would probably accept this life.

Zali sighed, shaking his head in disdain and then looked out at the sky, "You're all so young still …. It's …. Something you can't seem to understand," his voice was ominous.

"What's there to understand!" Tsume shouted was getting his own two cents in.

Zali's head snapped towards the town expectantly with surprised golden eyes, "Ah, Heart! There you are."

"Jerk…." Tsume huffed through his clenched teeth at being ignored.

"Zali," Heart acknowledged with a nod, "I saw Mose and a few of his boys huddling around the fire again, getting rowdy and tossing around things like saying Mutiny." She stood a few feet away from him, staying closer to Zali than the boys as she leaned her weight on one foot and cocked her hips to the side the way she usually did, "Thought you'd want to know that Cole is worried about it and needs you there."

Zali rolled his eyes to the heavens, "Just what I need right now from Mose…. And Akira?" Heart didn't miss how the other boys seemed just as interested in Akira as Zali was.

"She's asleep for now near the beach, in the church ruins." Heart said, nodding to the grave yard, "I came here for some pain-relieving herbs."

"I know where some are!" Toboe volunteered, "I can get them for you!" he dashed off with youthful enthusiasm, not waiting for an answer.

"Well, there's that taken care of." Heart shrugged with a smile at the pup's vigor to help. She then turned to Zali, "Now don't leave Cole waiting."

Zali's eyes drifted towards the boys.

"I'll keep watch." Heart grinned, patting her holster for emphasis.

"Don't let them near the pack." Zali nodded as he left her side to leave the way she came, intent on comforting Cole.

"Now then, boys." Heart turned to the remaining three wolves, "I guess this means you're under my arrest until further notice." She smirked.

"Yay…" Tsume groaned sarcastically.

"Does your friend usually fall unconscious standing up?" Heart approached Kiba, looking him up and down amused.

"He's not- KIBA!" Hige yelped, rushing forward to catch Kiba's body before it fell backwards on the ground after Heart lightly poked his chest.

"Stubborn isn't he?" Heart chuckled, then turned her back to them, looking over her shoulder for them to follow, "Come on, he can rest while Akira does."

Hige heaved Kiba over his shoulder, "Just-uh.." he grunted under Kibas dead weight, "How f-far are we talkin?"

"To those ruins." Heart pointed to a small dot on the other side of the beach across the graveyard.

"You-you're kidding…" Hige whined.

Tsume rolled his eyes and grabbed Kiba's coat collar, tossing him over his own shoulder like a pack of potatoes, "Shut up porky. You make wolves look bad." He snorted as he shoved pass Hige.

"Wha… you- YOU!" Hige bristled, "JERK OFF SON OF A-,"

"I got the herbs!" Toboe came dashing back happily with a smile on his bright face. He looked like he just saved a third world country with how proud he was.

"Good, now get more for the dumbass too." Hige growled.

"But- hey! Where are they going?" Toboe noticed Heart and Tsume leaving with Kiba over Tsume's shoulder.

"That's what the extra herbs are for." Hige replied under his breath. Sometimes he wandered why he even bothered running with this pack….

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

Akira grimaced in pain as she started to stir from her darkness of her slumber. Her arms and legs felt stiff and heavy, begging to be stretched as she groaned to wakefulness.

'What…. Happened to me? I feel like a train slammed into my body or… or something… oh wow," she gripped her head surprised, 'Owyowyowy! My head is killing me!'

She lifted her eye lids a little while she gathered her wits and her memories started to return to her. She remembered waking up this morning next to Kiba (Blush) then sneaking off away from him to go to work, then…. She shot up suddenly alert, "WHERE'S GRAMPS! - OUCH!" she hissed and clutched her bruised abdomen, "Oh MOON! That HURTS!" she whined and hesitated moving anymore.

"You shouldn't move much right now. Just stay laying still and wait for the herbs Toboe went to go fetch you kick in" Heart commanded in her gentle voice she used when she tended to someone sick. The dark tanned hand of Heart's human form had darted to Akira's shoulder, holding her back from sitting up any higher and softly insisting that she lay back down. Heart was sitting on her ankles near Akira's head, watching over her charge silently while she had slept.

Akira closed her eyes again let Heart ease her back down to her back, hissing in discomfort. She shifted to lie on her left side, the uninjured side and sighed as the discomfort lessened to a more manageable level. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself looking up at Toboe who was keeping pressure on Kiba's wounds covered with strange leaves… Kiba was lying next to her, 'Nope, that wasn't a rock my hand had just been on… that was Kiba's chest… wait… KIBA'S CHEST??' Akira's eyes shot open as she bolted to sit up again.

"WHY IS KIBA NEXT TO ME, SHIRTLESS??" She yelped, her face glowing pink.

"Akira, please!" Heart shoved Akira back down, ignoring the young wolf's whine of pain, "Think of your own wounds before overreacting? Besides it's just a shirtless guy." Heart eyed Akira knowingly, grinning when Akira realized Tsume, Hige and Heart were laughing at her outburst.

"Get's excited easily, doesn't she?" Hige chuckled, "Cute!"

"Easy, there." Tsume warned Hige not to get too excited by the prospect of an excitable female, but the older male too found it amusing.

"Sorry Akira, but this is the only place soft enough for both of you to rest for now with both of you wounded." Toboe explained, completely missing the reason why she got so flustered.

"O-Oh…" Akira shifted her embarrassed eyes away from them, "What happened to Kiba? He didn't have those wounds before…" she tried to change subject, hoping to dodge any more embarrassment.

"Don't you remember?" the grey wolf's voice cracked with a snuff of laughter.

"I just remember everything going blank and… and then I saw red, but then its fuzzy from there on. Did I attack him?" her orange eyes were wide with terror.

'Oh please no!' she thought as her heart fluttered in a startled way. What if those wounds really were her fault??

Tsume seemed to find something funny as even his voice seemed to smirk at her, "He swooped in after that Zali guy threw you off the ramp. He looked like he was going after the humans, but Zali intercepted him."

"He was really putting up a fight! When he first went after the humans, Zali held him back until the workers could get a hold of him, but after Zali threw you, he went nuts and went after Zali! We all had to hold him back after that." Hige grinned as if it were a fond memory.

Akira blushed in embarrassment. Her face only a few shades lighter than her own hair, "He-he was just angry about the humans and the old man dying, right?"

"Well he was mad at them at first, I think." Toboe's eyes rolled up thoughtfully, "But ya know, I haven't known Kiba very long, but I've never seen him get THAT angry when he charged Zali after Zali threw you." His honey nut golden eyes drifted down towards Akira with consideration, "I wonder what got into him?" he asked innocently, only making Akira's face get brighter.

Hige and Tsume shared a knowing look, but while Hige grinned widely, Tsume rolled his eyes and groaned, "Shit for brains white-retard."

Heart gave Tsume a pointed look before she softened it to catch Toboe's eye across from her –Akira and Kiba lay side by side between the two 'nurse-maids'-, "Speaking of him, how's Kiba holding up?"

"These herbs should do for now." Toboe sighed as he looked over Kiba's covered wounds and sat back from putting pressure on the herbs, "He doesn't seem as uncomfortable now and his breathing's slowed down. I think he's asleep."

"That's Kiba for ya." Hige shrugged his shoulders while holding his arms crossed behind his head as a make-shift pillow for the back of his head. He sat leaning against the wall a few feet behind Heart whereas Tsume sat on a fallen pillar of rock with one leg dangling while the other was propped up to rest his arm on his knee. Hige yawned, "He's always getting into situations like this, not caring if he scares other people or if he dies. He probably doesn't care if he wakes up and would prefer going towards 'the light'."

Toboe's breath caught as he quickly looked Kiba over again, frightened that Kiba really wasn't going to pull through, even though the worst was over. Heart glared half-heartedly over her shoulder at the snickering fluffy male before kicking out her leg to jab him in the sole of his shoe, shutting him up for good.

"But still, I bet he didn't feel like he could just sit there and do nothing after all that." The younger wolf defended, "He wanted to help them, but I don't think it was an attempt at suicide."

"Going against another packs alpha in his home turf and even going so far as to provoke their way of life is _asking_ for suicide." Hige retorted.

"It doesn't really matter what his motivations were- he should have just left it alone and not go around sticking his nose where it doesn't belong." Tsume said as he nodded at the prone form of the white wolf, "He plays the hero and look where it gets him, half-dead. It was a sacrifice for nothing. A stunt only a bastardized fool would do for a pack that obviously prefers slavery over freedom and pride of their 'heritage'."

"Tsume," Toboe looked up at his role model pleadingly.

"How can you say that?" Heart shot back, "none of us felt like we could just sit back and watched the old man die! We didn't want to! Hell if I wasn't bounded down like that back there, I would have done the same thing!"

"Then why are you choosing to be on the receiving end of all this? Why do you slave away like that old man did? Are you planning to die like that too!" Tsume growled back lightly.

Heart was taken aback and snarled just the same, "It-…It's not like that. It's not slavery! We are paid well for the work we do."

"And that is?"

"Food and water. Worth more than any gold in these harsh living conditions. We work hard, we get fed." She narrowed her eyes on him, daring him to provoke her just a little more.

"They pay you with food and water, you say?" Tsume sarcastically mimicked her voice, "Fuck that shit- you're still half starving, your fur is hardly cleaned, half the pack is developing mange, and your old dig their own graves in a human grave yard. You're slaves."

"Why you cocky bastard!" Heart snapped, finally having reached her limit as she stood up sharply, "Look here, you pompous ass-,"

"Is that all you can do now? Insult me because the humans taught you not to bare your fangs at threats anymore? Are you a good doggy?" He smirked at her, loving how easy it was to get a rise out of her.

Heart's hair seemed to frizz, mocking the way her fur would stand on end in her wolf form. Her canines lengthened dangerously in warning as she bared her fangs at him just in spite, "I'll show you 'good-doggy' you son of a-,"

"STOP IT!" Akira shouted. Everyone but Kiba turned to her and saw tears brimming those bright orange eyes, "Please, just stop it! What's done is done! None of this will bring Gramps back!" she sniveled, "it never brought back my family…" she rolled away from everyone, ignoring the fact that it shot pain through her bruised ribs as she hid her face.

Heart was at a loss of what to say or do for a moment. Akira's outburst had snapped her out of her own rage, but soon as she gathered her wits and realized that Akira was sobbing at her feet, she bent down again and tried to get Akira to look at her, putting a gentle hand on Akira's shaking shoulder. When she finally got Akira to look up at her with tear-stained cheeks, she smiled gently and raised her hand to rest on the top of Akira's head like a mother would a crying child, "Look at you, you're all beat up and you're still stressing out over everyone else's concern. Go on and get some rest."

Akira looked like she wanted to protest, but it came out a yawn that end in a wince as Heart rolled her off her injured side, "But Heart, I don't want to-,"

"You'll be more of a burden if you don't get the necessary rest needed to heal your wounds." Heart chided, knowing that would get to the girl.

Akira nodded reluctantly as she lay her head back down on the softened ground, pillowed with leaves Toboe, Hige and Heart had gathered to put their injured on. Heart stroked back her long hair until Akira finally fell asleep, and even after that, Heart stayed dutifully at Akira's side. Her red eyes watching the younger girl for any signs of discomfort. She had always wanted pups, but for now, Akira was enough for Heart. She was like the little sister she never had.

"I'm fed up with all this crap. Let's just go already. Let's get up and leave this place." Tsume said softly, so he wouldn't wake Akira. He didn't give two-shits about Kiba at the moment, but the sweet little Akira had him not wanting to disturb her slumber. That and Heart would rip him a new one if he woke her patient.

"But Tsume! We can't leave Kiba now, he's hurt! And what about Akira or Shura?" Toboe protested.

"Which is exactly why we should have left here yesterday." Hige snorted while everyone turned to him surprised that he actually said that.

"Oh really, and just what happened to 'living here had more going for it'" Tsume cocked a mocking brow.

"Humph," Hige looked away, "You wanna leave, right?"

"And you wanted to stay." Tsume replied matter of factly.

Hige's hackles started to rise, "And just what is so BAD about changing my mind now?"

"Don't take that tone with me unless you're willing to back it up porky!"

"Bring it!" Hige hesitated when Tsume actually stood up, tilting his head to the side and giving him the look that said, 'Fuck with me and die.' Hige leaned back, away from Tsume and lowering his head, a small show of surrender, but enough, "Just forget what I said. Not like it matters in this pack anyways."

There was a strained silence after the little spat that had Toboe looking from Hige and Tsume worriedly. Tsume finally had enough of the pup's pathetic worried whines, so he barred his teeth at Toboe with a low growl. Toboe jumped and put his head down, choosing instead to keep his eyes glued on Kiba's wounds.

"Looks like you fellas have been tied down here too." Heart sighed as she lightly stoked the now asleep Akira's hair to soothe the wolf back to her peaceful slumber to heal. She completely ignored the boy's little pack-spat, not wanting to get involved unless it included Akira or herself.

"Tied down?" Toboe looked up to Heart across from him, cautious of Tsume, just in case the older wolf was still annoyed with him, "What ties you down here?"

Heart smiled, it was the smile a mother would give to her child when she was teaching them something new patiently, "Isn't that obvious?" she glanced down at Akira.

Kiba's blue eyes suddenly opened almost mechanically, startling those around him at his sudden consciousness. He grunted as he tried to sit up, "Okay, I'm fine, let's go," he grimaced in pain.

Toboe put his hands on Kiba's shoulders and gently pressed down, grimacing when Kiba winced in pain, "Hang on a second, you can't go anywhere with those wounds on you and an empty stomach!" the pup insisted he stay put and wasn't letting up on the pressure he had on Kiba's shoulders. Toboe may not know much, but Granny was a medicine woman, so he at least knew basic healing skills and Kiba needed to stay still to heal better.

"What woke you up so suddenly, sleeping beauty? You were out ever since Zali had to knock you out so you'd stop your struggling at the station." Heart inquired as Kiba finally relented and reluctantly lay back down. His blue eyes spotted Akira sleeping peacefully next to him with her head near Heart's knees while the older female stroke silky blood red hair that made him itch to try and touch it as well, but he refrained.

"I… I smelt the lunar flower close by, and thought it was Cheza." Kiba confessed, his blue eyes still transfixed on Akira as if she confused him.

"You probably just smelled Akira." Toboe explained, "The wind did just shift towards you. It's no wander you got a jumpstart so suddenly, but you really shouldn't move until we get some food into you." He felt his stomach growl, "Well, into all of us, really."

"Well I know somebody here who has a stuffed gut," Tsume glared down at Hige who bristled again at the gray's continuous prodding's.

"Look- you were the ones who went off on your own. Not me! Besides, it's rude to waste food! So I had to eat it when Cole brought over some." He justified, snuggling himself more comfortably against the solid wall he leaned on.

"Yeah, and you chose to sit on your butt." Kiba retorted, earning him a half-hearted glare from Hige. He couldn't really harp at Kiba, seeing as the guy was half dead and all.

"And what about Shura? It was brought for her sake that night, wasn't it?" Tsume drawled, wanting to continue this little game of torture Hige's nerves.

Heart suddenly started growling, "You didn't take her food and eat it while she slept the night away did you!" she accused, feeling her canines lengthened threateningly.

"Hey, hold on a second there!" His eyes widened when he realized just how close Heart was to phasing into a wolf and attacking him. He gulped, "OI! Calm down, Calm down!" Hige held up his hands in defense, "I would never do that, to a woman at least- and especially NOT a pregnant woman! Besides, Cole and I made sure she ate her fill before I dug in the rest." He reassured in his distress.

Heart settled enough to where she wasn't changing into her wolf and her scent started to relax without the ting of raged battle spice to it, but it was still obvious that her opinion in Hige changed for the worse at the moment as she kept a wary eye on him.

"Which reminds me, why didn't you take Akira back to Shura?" Kiba asked as he shifted so he could look up at Heart from where he lay more comfortably, "She must be worried about her, but you led us all out here instead of the den."

Heart's autumn eyes became dark with conflicting emotions, "I did…. And Shura was so worried to see her daughter like this, but…. The blood in Akira's fur was making Shura's stomach sick and I had to take her away to here. Shura didn't want me to, but with the pups and all…" she heaved a heavy sigh.

Toboe felt how gloomy the rest were getting and decided to lighten the mood again, "Well, you could have at least saved us all a bit of food, Hige," he pouted.

"Not my problem. Soon as Shura went back to sleep, Cole even stayed a while to chat with me." Hige preened with pride at being such a stud.

"That's right, so how did your little date go anyways?" Tsume rolled his eyes.

"I don't know she seemed kinda … lonely to me. I was about to ask her if she wanted something to cheer her up, cause we all know I could," Hige got a perverted grin, "but she said her goodbyes before I got the chance to. I guess she's shy or something."

"You know she's Zali's mate right?" Heart dead panned smirking slowly as it dawned on Hige.

"Wait-She's what!?" Hige seemed to jolt out of fantasy land, making Heart laugh at him and

"Regardless, what do we do now? We gotta do something." Toboe once again asked the older wolf who kept his eye on Kiba, as if trying to see if their so called 'leader' would enforce his position now.

But he didn't, Kiba seemed content to just sit back and let the others work this one out. Tsume could tell it was somehow Akira's doing that he was like that. The girl had that lunar flower's scent, and Kiba was more susceptible to that drugging scent then the rest of them were, that's why he was leading them after it. So it seemed Kiba didn't care much about what his pack was fussing over now so long as the wind blew gently in his face with that girls scent. Tsume rolled his eyes at Kiba's reaction to the scent. Sure it was nice, but the white wolf was like a druggy to it.

"What else is there to do here?" Tsume sighed exasperated.

"Oh! What about imposing on Cole's hospitality for a while?" Hige seemed to wag his tail as he sat forward eagerly.

"Weren't you listening?" Heart growled out in irritation.

"NO! How about you getting us something to eat! By yourself!" Tsume ordered Hige with a hard look, having had enough of the fluffy wolf.

"Eh?! By myself?!" he gawked in retort as if he were dealt a terrible wrong.

His answer was a golden ice stare and a threatening growl from Tsume.

"Argh! Fine! I'm going by myself." Hige got up and started out to find food again.

The others watched as Hige tromped off on his own with a mission of finding their next meal, "Is it really necessary to send him off like that for food he's supposed to find for all of us?" Kiba questioned.

"Shut up and get some sleep, Kiba. You're dragging us down having to wait for you." Tsume snorted.

Kiba just glared back, but closed his eyes to rest none-the-less. Toboe watched over him for a while, waiting until he was sure Kiba was comfortable before he leaned back away from him and stretched, "I'll go get some more herbs for Kiba and Akira's wounds" Toboe stood up, "Can you take care of both of them for a while Heart?"

"They'll be fine here with me," Heart nodded and watched as the young wolf pup trotted off after Hige.

A comfortable silence enveloped the two still conscious wolves as they watched over their wounded friends. Tsume took up looking up at the tiny portion of the moon that showed that night, letting his mind go blank for a while and revealing in it. He didn't have to think about things for just a while, and that's just what he needed. Heart's red eyes looked over her now two charges in Toboe's absence with a keen eye before she was confident that they were just sleeping soundly and then let herself relax as well, enjoying the rare silence she was getting with Tsume present.

"It must feel strange to have people who accept you," she said after a while, sneaking a look at him through the corner of her eye.

Tsume turned his gaze down from the moon to her before choosing to scan their surroundings around them for any hint of danger, "What are you talking about?"

"After what happened with Ruze and the rest of the pack. I'm surprised you let your walls down around those two. You don't seem so cold when you talk to them." Heart observed, "You seem like the way you were before you supposedly turned your back on the pack." She was giving him her full attention now, trying to gage his reaction to his own past, wanting to know if it still hurt him like it haunted her.

"I'm still the guy I've always been and this is who I always will be," Tsume chided, evading her all together as he gave her a golden glance from the corner of his eye that was meant to warn her off the subject.

Heart watched him for a moment longer then down cast her gaze back to Kiba to check him over for anything out of the ordinary, and avoiding looking at Tsume while she spoke, "You still don't know what's happed to the rest of us, do you? I can see that you're just dying to ask me why I'm here and not with Ruze anymore."

"I don't give a damn about that bastard." Tsume brushed it off, but it was true. He was dying inside to ask her. What became of the pack he left behind? The pack that drove him away?

"Typical," She sighed, "I'm guessing that's your new way of asking questions you don't want to say out loud?" she looked over her shoulder to the sliver of a moon then down to the ground with a far off look, "You may or may not want to know, but I believe you to have never been outcast from the pack and that you have a right to know what happened. Ruze was too rash in you exile sentence from us all. He already had it out for you anyways, but I never thought he would do that to you. If he knew that I told you to run to the ridge in the first place, he wouldn't have seen you as a deserter but a hero." She sighed, "He never let me tell him what happened."

"He was always a bastard like that," Tsume had to agree with her, 'especially a bastard when we were both near _her_'

Heart's red eyes looked up at him about the same time his golden eyes fell down to her and their eyes clashed for a moment. For just that moment, each could see the pain of the past dealt with in different ways. His was frustration and injustice that he had been driven from pack and home. Hers was guilt that she wasn't strong enough to defend him. He didn't want her feeling guilt on his part. It wasn't her decision to cast him out, "He wouldn't have listened anyways, and you know it. He was too driven by his grudge. A grudge that will probably last until the end of his days." He scoffed, "Seeing as he's not here now with you, I guess you two got separated, ne? Can't say I'm sorry to hear it."

Her eyes fell, "Well, not exactly…. about three months after you left, we were ambushed by soldiers again. They singled us out this time instead of trying to flush us out and captured us to take to some noble woman's Keep. I was lucky enough to break out of my own cage, but I was forced to either leave the others or join them to my death." Her voice became more sorrowful by the minute. She inhaled a shaky breath as she tried to stop herself from crying.

When she heard no vocal response from him she lift her head, her red eyes caught up in his semi-shocked golden stare off into space, "Ts-Tsume?"

"They're all …. Dead?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, "They shot Ruze right in front of our eyes when they attacked and skinned some of the younger pups with the finer furs alive a few days on the journey after they caught us all and started taking us back to that woman's keep." Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears, "I can still hear their screams, Tsume. I can hear my name echo after me as they call out for my aid, yet I was too terrified to fight back and try to save them. If they had survived … You wouldn't be the only one they'd exile for desertion." She smiled morbidly at him, "I guess that means you're not alone now, huh?" a single tear streaked down her face before she whipped it away with her sleeve and turned away from Tsume to compose herself.

Tsume didn't know what to think. She'd poured out her heart and soul to him just like that. The one who's own mate hated with a passion because of the affection Tsume had once held for this she-wolf was confiding in him of all people when she could have sided faithfully with her mate like the females should, but here she was trying to reassure him that he wasn't alone anymore. She was willing to align herself with him after all these years.

Damn these females here are something else.

What's worse, Tsume didn't think those feelings of affection for her died off in those six years they've been apart. They were now surfacing once more in a slowly but surely fashion, and he couldn't stand to see her cry. This strong woman before him didn't do anything to deserve feeling so much pain that she could shatter her resolve and cry like this.

Tsume stood up silently, closing his eyes and heaving a sigh as he approached the sobbing female that crouched over her friend. He sat down with his back to hers and leaned back to her, catching her off guard, "Tsume..?" she looked over her shoulder with tear stained cheeks and blotchy red eyes. She looked so fragile to him.

Tsume turned away from her to look at the moon again, "You're not alone either, Heart. You can cry if you want, but you're not alone anymore." He whispered softly into the night.

It took a moment for Heart's shock to let those words sink in and take full effect, but when they did, she smiled warmly at him, "Thank you…. Tsume." She slipped her hand to rest beside his own as they sat back to back, her snivels dying out to nothing and him sitting in silence, offering her his strength to lean on in her vulnerability and keeping watch over her and the rest.

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

"This is getting out of hand, Mose." Zali's pack had gathered together in the central den- an abandoned casino hotel in the heart of the town. Fires roared proudly in both fire places on either side of the middle floor den while another fire pit was in the middle flaring more modestly where the pack was gathered. Mose, being beta sat on the old plush throne once used for the owner of the casino, but now was the seat of the alpha, Zali. However, the pack wasn't so keen to call him much of an alpha anymore.

"He's letting trespassers into our lives- drinking our water, eating our food!" another barked.

"It's treason! A wolf lives for his own, not for other packs!"

"He's still our Alpha!" Gregor, a wolf who was a survivor like Mose and Zali the first time they attempted to chase after paradise through the underground tunnel. He and about five other wolves of the fifteen in Zali's pack still stood for Zali as alpha.

"You still going to harp that when your _Alpha_ turns on you for a new pack? When he gives YOUR food to a bunch of STRAYS?" Gunther bit back with a snarl.

"Who are you to judge!" Yease, another loyalist to Zali backed up his friend, "Zali did the same for you when you arrived here half starved!" the wolf with blonde hair and dark eyes stood up as the others fell silent, "Most all of you came from that back ground! Zali gave you home, food, water, he gave you PACK!"

"He didn't ignore his pack when he helped us." Gunther returned, reviving the fire of the greater half of the pack, "He introduced us to the pack. Then the PACK helped us."

Howls of agreement echoed the den as Gregor and Yease had to stand down. Mose's side was getting too rowdy, and though they were loyal to Zali to the end, they were not willing to become strays along with him and lose the pack.

Mose stood, shooting a warning glare at the loyalist, "Then it's settled. If any of you so much as hints to Zali that he's about to be over thrown, you're going down with him, and your fate will be worse." The loyalist stood down, none of them meeting his eyes, "Good. Now show me your loyalties." None of them moved, "SHOW ME!" he barked throwing a stone into the fire and making the pit fire flare.

"Gregor…" Yease tensed when Gregor stiffly lowered to his knee, "What are you doing?" he hissed.

"We cannot fight Mose as we are," Gregor tilted his head slightly, showing his neck only a little, but it was enough to get the point across. The others hesitated, but fell to their knee as well, following Gregors lead.

"Good…" Mose nodded to Gunther, "Lock them up until Zali's taken care of. In the basement- the cages will do."

"What?!" Gregor stood, "You would put your own pack in cages??"

"You are not my pack if you are loyal to another alpha."

"You're no ALPHA!" Yease bit back as the grunt wolves held him and the other five wolves back, "You're as greedy as a human! If it looks like, talks like and acts like one, you might as well be a filthy huma-," Gunther cut Yease off by kneeing him in the gut, knocking the air out of the blond wolf that fell to the ground gasping for breath.

"Get them out of my sights." Mose waved them off as the five were dragged away.

The remaining four wolves took the five loyalists down the basement, more or less dragging or shoving them along the way. The remaining six wolves turned to Mose, their new presumed leader with Gunther as his beta, "What now, Mose?"

"How do you plan on getting to Zali?"

"What about the outsiders?"

"Calm down." Mose sat back in his thrown and rest his ankle on his knee, wagging his foot in thought, "Let me think here."

"Zali," one of the four wolves barreled back up the stairs to the middle floor, "Zali! You gotta see this!"

"Cut that shit out!" Mose barked, "I'm thinkin here!"

"But its Shura! She's up and movin around town, lookin for food!" the grunt spat out.

"Shura? The pregnant bitch?" Gunther tilt his head, "Thought she couldn't move."

"Apparently so." Mose quirked a brow, "She alone?"

"Looks like. She's been wandering near dumpsters of the restaurant. Looking for food most likely." The grunt replied.

"And the strays? Where are the strays and this bitch's family of bitches?" Mose inquired.

"They're conveniently all together but one stray went looking for food as well." Another grunt appeared beside the first.

"Good…" Mose grinned sinisterly, "Alert the human patrol. We found the source of the 'strays' that keep attacking the station. If they take out the 'alpha female' the others will run off. That's what you tell them."

"Have the humans shot a pregnant female?" Gunther hesitated, "You realize that goes against everything were as wolves. Females don't get pregnant so easily anymore, and to kill one…"

"So we find another bitch, fuck her to the ground until she's pregnant. There. End of story." Mose eyed his second, "You wanna join the loyalists?"

"No." Gunther looked away.

"Good. Now go alert the humans."

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

Kiba's blue eyes slowly opened as he felt his strength return to him while the moon started to set and the dawn was claiming the sky slowly. He took a quick look around to get his bearings, taking note of the other three wolves with him. Heart and Tsume sat across from one another near the low wall of the ruins- the entrance. They surveyed the area like watch dogs, both sitting in relaxed crouches, as if waiting for an enemy to pop up so they could spring into action. They were sitting closer than he thought they would, even though they still held their personal space, Kiba was under the impression that they held a strong… disliking of each other. Apparently, it wasn't as strong as he had thought.

He flexed his muscles, especially in his abdominal area, checking for any tenderness. He found none. Still testing, he sat up slowly but surely, now feeling like the soreness of his body. Kiba rubbed his palm over his face with a low moan.

"You're awake, that's good," the black haired woman sighed with something akin to relief, "How are you feeling?" she stood and turned away from Tsume who only spared Kiba a passing glance before he returned to surveying the area.

"Like someone's gnawing at each individual bone in my body while I'm still alive," Kiba groaned.

Heart grinned, "Good! It's better than I thought." She walked over to Kiba, easing down to her knees and gently checking Akira over. Kiba's eyes followed her every move, but when she knelt down next to Akira, his eyes looked over the girl with worry.

"How is she?" Kiba noticed that while he felt sore, his wounds were gone, but Akira's were still present. They weren't bleeding, but they weren't sealed as well. Could it be because of her hybrid blood that she didn't heal like a wolf?

"How do you think she is?" Tsume snorted, "She took on a wolf pack, then bit the alpha, tasting blood for the first time- wolf blood."

"She's a wolf… that's never had a taste of blood..?" Kiba looked from Tsume back to Akira as if she were something he couldn't understand.

Heart's eyes creased with concern, "She's never been in any kind of fight that was ever that brutal … Then again, she's probably never had to face the instinct to attack like that with another wolf. This was probably her first time sinking her fangs into a real living thing with hot blood. I doubt she ever even hunted a deer." Heart looked down at her young friend, "I wander how she'll react when she remembers the taste of it… She's not one to just forget about it and move on, what if she feels like she's some kind of monster now that she attacked another wolf? She was close to Zali, but she attacked him out of blood rage…"

"Come on, you act like she's an adolescent Vampire that just tasted the blood of the wrong human or something," Tsume chided , "It's not like it's never happened before her time. A wolf can and will attack another wolf if they or their pack is threatened."

"She doesn't know that instinct yet, or how to control it!" Heart argued, "Think of her like a pup, only a pup that's older with instincts buried for too long for being with humans and living like one."

"Just what are you saying? That we need to be all cautious with her when she wakes up just in case she attacks or something?" Tsume retorted, "Some trust you have in your friend, there." He nodded towards Akira.

Heart pulled Akira's body towards her, "I have complete trust in Akira! It's just… she's never…" Heart was at a loss, "Well, YOU seem to know everything, Tsume, just what are we supposed to do? Huh?" she goaded.

"How should I know, woman?" Tsume rolled his eyes.

"The only thing we can do. We'll stay with her until she's coped with what's happened. She decides how she acts upon what she has done, not us. No matter what we may try to do, we can't make her do anything she truly doesn't believe…," Kiba said.

Tsume let that thought sink in a little before he groaned with a snort, "You two look too deeply into things. If she goes crazy and starts attacking people like a deranged dog, we won't have to kill her, the humans will. They'll probably chalk it up to rabies too, just like they always do." Heart glared at him half heartedly.

The eerie clank of metal on metal slamming against one another in a lock startled all four wolves. Akira shot up fully alert, her eyes wild and wide as she panted for breath.

"Wha-What was that?" she gasped.

Tsume gritted through is teeth, "Hell if I know." His golden eyes searched expertly around the terrain available to him.

"It sounded like one of the traps. The humans set them up around the island to capture stray dogs for their work at the station." Heart supplied.

No one moved a muscle while their senses strained for a noise and their noses took in the scents. But it was silent and the air was crisp, releasing nothing but the smell of filth and wolf. It was like they were in a blank world.

"HEY! HEEEY!!" Toboe's voice called out. All four heads snapped in his direction as the wind carried his scent. They relaxed for a moment.

Heart stood up as he ran in almost out of breath and helped Akira stand as well, surprised when the young wolf insisted on standing after Kiba also stood, "Are you sure….?" Heart cautioned her like a worried hen.

"Look, it's just a few scratches here and a bruise or two there. I'm fine, just traumatized a bit. I can stand" Akira insisted and stood wobbly on her own two feet in human form before looking over at Toboe who was bent over and leaning on his arms braced against his knees and heaving for each breath, "Didn't you follow after Hige?"

"Toboe, where's Hige..?" Kiba asked alarmed.

"That's just it! Hige got captured by this really big trap! And he can't get out!" Toboe gasped out as he lifted his head from breathing so hard, "I ran back as fast as I could!"

"Oh, well then what's the big fuss? It's just a human trap." Heart rolled her eyes.

"Huh?!" Toboe didn't expect Heart to say something so… cold hearted like Tsume would.

"All he has to do is trick the humans with his human form and he can go free," Tsume clarified for the confused pup.

"But he was knocked out by those wolves from in town! The one's that fought with Akira this morning!" Toboe gasped out, "He's in wolf form, unconscious!"

"You mean Mose!" Akira gapped.

Heart sneered with seething hatred, "That little son of a bitch! He's dog enough to go low like that!" she hissed.

"Why the hell would they do that!" Kiba demanded, "Wolves can get low, but not low enough to go against their own."

"I-I don't know!" Toboe replied as he started to panic.

"Why didn't you give us a warning or something by howling? And what are you doing here! You should have gone after them and followed them!" Tsume scolded.

Toboe looked shocked as he realized Tsume was right, "Oh, yeah, you're right….," he whimpered.

Akira's orange eyes softened on Toboe with sympathy, but turned hard when she whirled on Tsume, nearly falling forward off balance since she was still a bit wobbly on her feet, "Hey, it wasn't Toboe's fault! Lay off will you!" Akira defended Toboe. Tsume just brushed her off, focusing on Kiba as he pushed away from the pile of rubble he'd been leaning against.

Kiba stiffly put one foot in front of the other with determination set in his frame as he made his way to the door, resting most of his weight on the ruined walls as he limped. His body burned with newly healed wounds and mended bones and muscles, but he refused to leave Hige in trouble like this.

"Kiba?" Akira said with uncertainty as he started to pass by her, but fell against the wall and nearly on top of her, "K-KIBA! Are you sure you should be moving?" Heart helped pull Kiba off Akira and eased him on his own spot against the wall.

"I'm fine. Let's go." Kiba's eyes were set on the outside as if it were the final frontier.

"Where to?" Tsume blinked off guard, "Thanks to the runt, we have no idea where the humans are taking Hige." Toboe whimpered in response, feeling ashamed, but no one took notice.

"We'll go into the town. Zali has to know something about this." Tsume and Kiba shared a look that conveyed they both agreed that Zali had to have some sort of knowledge of this.

Akira's eyes widened as she caught on to what the boys were thinking, "No… NO! Zali didn't and he wouldn't ever tell the others to do something like this!" she grabbed a hold of Kiba's pilot jacket, trying to make them understand that Zali wouldn't do that.

"This is coming from the naïve, over-trusting puppy that has only known him for three, maybe four months?" Tsume chided, "He could be anything he wanted you to believe."

Akira glared at him, then looked to Heart for back up. Heart stiffened at the honest plead in the younger wolf's eyes, wanting her to believe her, but Hearts instincts were against the idea that Zali had NO part of this, "Sorry Akira, but they have a point…" she sighed looking away.

Akira's expression contorted to hurt, "Heart…?"

"We don't have time for this!" Kiba started limping off, not bothering to look back to see if the others would follow, "By the time you make your mind up, Hige will be long gone! The time to act is now."

Tsume strided on passed Kiba at a brisk walk before growling in frustration at the sad effort Kiba was putting into just walking, "We also don't have time for _this _either!" with that said, Tsume swooped Kiba over his shoulder without concern for what Kiba had to say about it and started off at a dead run for the city with the other three behind him, "By the time you get there, Hige really _will_ be dead."

"H-Hey! Cut that out! Put me down, Tsume!" Kiba growled embarrassed.

"Like hell, gimpy." Tsume quirked a smirk back at Kiba who glared back.

Tsume lead them into town and the four wolves searched the streets, "Where the hell do those rats for wolves stay in this dump?"

"In the abandoned casino," Akira supplied.

"Yeah, but Cole and Zali live separately." Heart interjected, "He'd be more likely near his own den then the packs."

"And just where is HIS den?" Tsume bit back.

"No one knows." Heart shrugged.

"Damn good help you all are!" Tsume snarled in frustration.

"You wouldn't even know THAT if it weren't for us, macho-maniac." Heart snided in return with a huff as they each looked down every alley way they passed and sniffed around, trying to find Zali's scent.

"I'm fine now, Tsume, you can let me down now!" Kiba demanded with a pound of his fist on Tsume's back, "DOWN!"

Tsume stopped for a moment and let the white wolf slide to his own feet. Toboe panted at Tsume's side as he frantically looked around, "Where could they be? You'd think an alpha would have plenty of his scent around his territory."

"Too much stink to decipher his." Kiba covered his nose, "How did you live here all these months?" he looked over to Heart and Akira.

Heart shrugged, "My nose went numb the first few days."

Akira smelt the foul stench of dengy fur, station oil, and a particular rotten musk nearby, "Wait a second-," she looked down the alley to their left in time to see a wolf pass through it as it went to the other side, "There! They're over that way!" she pointed and the five of them were off again, only to stop at the mouth of the ally were Mose and a few other wolves gathered.

One of the wolves, Gunther, recognized them and smirked, "heh, well now, it looks like last nights' beating didn't sink in too well, did it?" He chuckled as the other wolves snickered around him, turning to face the newly arrived five wolves.

Akira glanced at Kiba wryly, but his blue eyes were fiercely focused on the other wolves that cackled like a pack of hyenas. She noticed that he and the others had squared their shoulders in a ready position to spring into action, even Toboe was ready for a fight. She returned her eyes to Mose and Gunther among the other wolves with realization. These were the wolves she found covered in wounds last night before she found Kiba in the back ally. Were they planning this? Heart noticed Akira's sudden nervousness and moved to step in front of her.

"Stay behind me, Akira." She whispered lowly, but the other wolves heard it too.

Mose raised a brow when he noticed the red wolf among them and smirked, "Ahh, and it seems that the over passionate bitch is here too." He grinned devilishly as he eyed her from head to toe, making Akira both terrified and enraged, "We were rudely interrupted last time, but this time you won't be so fortunate," he nodded to his buddies to stand down as he took a few steps forward, holding out a bold hand like a monster would gesture to his victim before he shot them, "Look, I'll even go easy on ya this time so we can have a more… enjoyable squabble. You'd like that, wouldn't ya, bitch?" he grinned as he tilted his head.

"You're not touching her." Kiba said darkly.

"She's not part of _your_ pack so it's none of your business to stand in the way, stray." Gunther growled back.

"And what makes you think _I _ won't stand in your way?" Heart started to growl lowly and palm her revolver at her hip, but stopped when the other wolves suddenly jerked back in fear and surprise. She looked over her shoulder with the rest of the wolves and saw Zali himself standing behind them, cutting off the escape.

"I thought it'd be you boys stirring up trouble again- and now you brought the girls into your game?" the alpha growled annoyed.

"Zali!" Akira gasped nervously.

"It was you then? You were the one behind all this!" Tsume snarled,

"Behind what?" no emotion registered on the older wolfs face other than annoyance as his golden eyes bore into the alley way, taking everything and everyone in carefully to grasp the situation.

"Just how low will you mongrels sink!" Tsume snapped again.

Now Zali was starting to get pissed, "What the hell is going on here!"

"Is it true you sold out our friend to the humans?" Kiba was borderline from snarling himself like Tsume was. Akira stood between Zali and the others, looking wildly back and forth with fear in her eyes. She didn't want to believe this was happening- Zali wasn't denying their accusations!

Zali noticed Mose and Gunther with a few other wolves behind the 'troublemakers', "Alright, I'll say it again: what's going on here,"

Mose belied his nervousness with arrogance as he snorted off handedly as if he were the one being harassed, "Hell if I know, Zali, these kids just started kickin up shit and all."

Toboe glared back at the other wolf with recognition before turning to Zali again fiercely, "That's the one I heard back there! I heard you tell them to kill him!" Toboe shouted, pointing back at Mose accusingly.

Zali's glare got ten-times more dangerous as he stared down one of his pack, his beta even, "MOSE!" he growled in a tone that meant no funny business.

Mose jolted a bit, but it was all the proof anyone needed. Gunther seemed nervous all the sudden as the other wolves with them picked up on Mose's indecision.

Kiba had heard enough, he approached Mose with the intent to do some damage as he balled up his fist and bit back the change of his wolf when his canines lengthened. He wanted to kill this wolf for selling out Hige like a sack of meat, but Zali shoved him roughly aside, "THIS IS MY PACK!" he reminded with a roar, "Stay outta it!" he turned sharply to Mose and slugged him in the jaw, "Why the hell did you sell out their friend?!" he snatched Mose's collar before the other man could fall back completely from the impact and drew him close, "Tell me MOSE!"

Mose shoved Zali off with a heated glare and rubbed his jaw, "He's an outsider, that's why."

"Do you really have any ground to chide us, Zali? Isn't you who is selling out YOUR friends?" Gunther retorted as the big wolf stood up for Mose.

Zali's eyes widened in shock, "WHAT!"

"You know it's true! You don't even do a dogs work!" another wolf accused.

"Yeah, why should we listen to a traitor who would rather help out strays than his own pack?"

"We don't have to listen to a traitor like you!"

Zali's eyes narrowed as he relaxed his stance in understanding, "Is that how you really feel?"

"You ingrates!" Akira stepped forward, commanding everyone's attention as she shoved pass Heart's protection to stand before them.

"Akira?" Heart cautioned, noting the glare the other wolves with Mose shot her. She knew they would attack Akira if given the chance.

"Zali has done everything he can to protect your pack and you! He makes deals with humans so you can get food and not have to starve to death! He wards off any threatening outsiders that may come by away from all of you and take in strays that need his help! It's all for you! Everything he does is for the Pack! You'd have to be a blind fool to think that he'd sell any of you out, you mangy dogs!" the other wolves stared in shock as Akira stood up for Zali's sake, "How could you! Where's your pride as a wolf? Pride for your pack!"

"Yeah well none of us sees him as the leader anymore!" Mose lunged for Zali, taking him off guard, "It's time for a NEW Alpha!" he slammed his closed fist into Zali's stomach, grinning when Zali's breath left him in a WHOOSH. While Zali was doubled over, he brought his left leg up and slammed his heel into the back of Zali's head to slam him into the ground.

"AH!" Akira yelped as her confidant stance left her, rushed forward before the others were able to react, "ZALI!"

"Shut the fuck up already!" Mose stepped aside from kicking and wailing on Zali's prone body to kick Akira back squarely in the gut.

Akira flew backwards from her momentum with a grunt at the impact, falling into Toboe and taking both of them into the ground in a cloud of dust, "Akira!" he gasped in surprise.

"Akira!" Heart lashed her worried eyes from Akira who shakily backed off Toboe to Mose, "Now… Now you just PISSED me OFF."

"What are you gonna do? Shoot me?" Mose nodded to her gun.

"Don't need a gun to take your ass down." She lowered her head with a snarl.

Heart bared her fangs as she took on the change. Her black fur replaced her tanned skin in an instant as the large black wolf replaced the human woman in an instant. Kiba and Tsume changed on either side of her, snapping their jaws and barring their fangs at the ready at her signal, but Zali stopped them as he rasped out, "Sta..Stay out of this!"

Toboe and Akira were still crouched on the ground behind the three startled wolves who stopped snarling at Zali's demand for them to stay out of this, "This is… This is wrong." Akira whispered as she held her stomach tenderly, "All he was doing was trying to protect them, but they've turned on him like this…" Heart, Tsume and Kiba returned to their human forms and stood down, watching at a loss of what to do as Mose and his group of buddies wailed hard on Zali's injured form on the ground, beating him bloody. They kicked him with their boots and spat on his face, grinning from ear to ear each time they heard the tear of his flesh.

"Sometimes wrong things happen, we can't do anything about it," Heart hissed through clenched teeth as she restrained herself. Toboe put a reassuring hand on Akira's shoulder. She smiled up to the young wolf at her side grateful for his gratitude.

"STOP IT! PLEASE STOP IT!! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Cole's desperate voice screamed as she burst into the alley, shoving through Heart and the others to get to Zali, "PLEASE JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Mose pulled away from his revenge on Zali and noticed Cole with a grave face suddenly. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was Cole's crying, "Alright boys, cut it out." The other wolves let up reluctantly, but Gunther still pounded down his huge fist on Zali's face, "Gun!" Mose kicked Gunther's side to catch his attention.

"HEY!" Gunther yelped, "WHAT GIVES?"

Mose nodded to Cole, "He's half dead anyways. Leave him. He'll be dead soon." Mose turned to walk away, expecting the others to follow him. One by one, the other wolves followed after him and finally, Gunther stood up to straggle off after them as well, giving Zali one final kick.

"Screw you 'ALPHA DOG'!" he cackled as he caught up to his buddies.

"Cole?" Zali rasped with heavy breaths as she feel down next to him and helped him sit up, "Cole, is that you?"

"Zali, something's happened," Cole was crying, but the others didn't know if it was because of what she saw or something else, "Zali…"

**A/N- this one turned out MUUUCH longer than the original! Yays! I was daunted at first, because I didn't like how I wrote this chap at ALL, but now it seems to have a little more texture to it ^_^ I hope you guys liked it!**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE IT! IF NOT, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!**

**I was happy I could finally get it done before the big day! Think of it as a Christmas present to all those TsumeXHeart fans out there ^_^**

**Responses: **

Wolfsbane- The flash back scene was much needed, wasn't it? And the Diya one will happen eventually, I just want to find the best spot of it ^_^

KillerHotFeline & PussycatLover- OMGsh! You guys are the best! Thank you for giving me feedback on the drafts of the edits for this chapter! It really gave me the confidence to keep going with it. I hope it came out the way you two would have liked!

Venom- Aw! Poor Carnage! Well, I wish you both a merry Christmas! I love writing Akira freaking out as well! She tries to be just as serious and knowledgeable as the other wolves, but was raised with humans, so it's fun to play on her innocents from time to time. You can be sure more is coming in the future, especially with the lemons I have planned (grins).

Amber- I'm hoping they do end up getting better, if not, I'd have epically failed! Nooo! Lol, Happy holidays to you AGAIN!


	5. Chapter 4 Cut ties for Paradise

**FYI- I DO NOT OWN THE LYRICS TO LULLABY FOR A STORMY NIGHT OR ALL FALL DOWN.**

_If ever your will starts crashing down  
Whenever your will starts crashing down  
Whenever your will starts crashing down  
That's when you find me. _

_(Yeah) Lost til you're found  
Swim til you drown_

_Know that we all fall down  
Love til you hate  
Jump til you break  
Know that we all fall down_

_**All Fall Down- OneRepublic**_

Chapter four Cut Ties and Head for Paradise!

Cole kept trying to tell Zali what was wrong, but every time she seemed to catch her breath, her words would come out rushed and broken with no comprehension in them, making Zali worry even more. She was really spooked and it set his nerves into a frenzy

"Come on, Cole, calm down. Let's face it, you know as well as I that this isn't the worst thing you've found me doing, eh?" he attempted the poorly placed joke since Cole just caught her breath and gasped it out in a rush and started crying, "Cole," his voice was calm but athoritive, silently urging her to look him in the eyes. When she finally did he tried again, "Cole, what's making you cry?" there was genuine pain in his voice. He hated to see her cry, more than anything. He hated to see Cole shed tears.

"Oh my God…. Zali," she heaved in a heavy breath and grasped at his coat desperately. Her violet eyes were so full of fear and sorrow that it stole his breath. He almost didn't hear what she was saying, "-ra, Zali! It's Shura!" she repeated.

The other five wolves were suddenly focused completely on the distressed female. All thoughts of the impending doom of Hige left them for just a second. Akira shot to her feet, "What's wrong?! Did she go into labor? I have to get to here!" she was about to turn on her heel and bolt out of the alley way, but Cole's voice stopped her.

"No, please, no Akira… Please don't go to her." Cole turned from her mate and reached for Akira even though they were too far apart for Cole to even touch her. It was enough to halt Akira's intentions in confusion.

"I… I don't understand…" Akira turned halfway towards Cole with child-like confusion in her eyes, "Cole, what's wrong?"

"Yeah, why shouldn't she go to Shura?" Toboe stood up next to Akira, looking from the red head back to Cole who looked like it was taking a hard effort on her part just to say this.

Heart took a step back as she got a chilling thought, 'Shura… she's not…. Those bastards didn't…' her red eyes darted back to Akira then to Cole, 'Oh no…' she tensed.

"Shura's…she's dead!" Cole bit her lip as the tears fell harder down her pale cheeks. Zali quickly held her to his body, wrapping his arms around her from behind to hold her steady when she nearly fell. She gratefully turned to him, using his strength, "The… the humans went after her and…and… shot her down."

"Shot her down?!" Toboe gapped as he and the others stood in shock, unable to move or think, stunned.

"WHY?!" Kiba snapped out of it, "WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT?!" he gritted his teeth, remembering Shura's warmth and how she showed them compassion without even knowing them at all, "SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO DESERVE BEING HUNTED!"

"I-I don't…" Cole looked torn. She couldn't answer Kiba.

A low howl carried into the town. It was desperate and the voice sounded cracked as if it were struggling and terrified.

"Hige!" Toboe recognized, but then he looked back to Akira who still seemed stunned, "Oh no! What are we going to do!?"

"We have to go to him." Tsume said sternly, then jerked his head back to Zali, "Where are they taking him?"

"To the incinerator." Zali replied as he gently pushed Cole away, "You're going to need all the help you can get if you want to bust your friend free. All of you need to go with me to get him back."

"Zali…" Cole was worried that her mate would have a hard time getting back to their private den without collapsing, never mind actually going on a jailbreak!

"Cole, I'll be fine" he cupped her cheek gently, "I may be beaten down, but I can still run. This is something I have to do." He tenderly kissed her forehead while she reluctantly nodded.

"No!" Akira barked frantically, startling everyone, "I can't leave Shura! She needs me!" before anyone could do anything to stop her, the red head was on all four paws, running as fast as her legs would carry her back to Shura's den.

"AKIRA!" Heart called after her.

"Cole, go to Akira, stay with her." Zali ordered. Cole also took her wolf form, a sable wolf with violet eyes and a white muzzle and front paws. The female wolf darted off after the red she wolf with longer, ground eating strides. The difference was a Thoroughbred race horse vs. a stubby legged pony. Cole would catch up in no time.

"Heart, you can go if you-," Zali started as he made his way towards the front of the group to start leading them after Hige, but she stopped him with a snort.

"Hmph, I'm not going anywhere. Cole can handle Akira for now, but we need to get Hige." As the five wolves took on their wolf for, Heart darted in front of Zali in a blur of jet black fur, "Hurry and keep up, gramps! Hige can't last long enough for you to lope about!" she jibbed back at him.

"Sassy thing, isn't she." Zali huffed as he and the others tailed the speedy she-wolf.

"You don't know the half of it." Tsume grumbled.

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

"Akira! Listen to me!" Cole called out as she cut off the smaller red wolf. Akira was still young, and her hybrid blood was of a smaller breed, she was only about half the size of the full grown female wolf that blocked her path, but that didn't stop her.

"Cole! Back off!" Akira struggled to get pass the dark wolf, but Cole kept inserting her larger frame in Akira's way, "I want to go to her! She needs me! Can't you see that Cole?!" she snapped her teeth at Cole, not really baring fangs, but it was close as she curled up her upper lip.

The smaller, more nimble wolf found an opening and tried to slid pass Cole, but the elder wolf caught Akira by the chain around her neck with her teeth, "If you go to her now, you'll only cause yourself more pain then you're feeling now! Shura was-,"

"SHUT UP!" Akira cut her off harshly, swiping at Cole's face in a last ditch attempt to get away with her sharp claws. It startled Cole so much that she let loose the hold she had on Akira's chain. Akira fumbled forward, falling to the ground with her balance lost, but once she got her footing she turned on Cole, "If I don't go to her, I'll ALWAYS feel this pain!" Akira turned away from Cole, seeing that the older wolf paused in her pursuit, "She... she needs me." Akira bounded off for the den once more only a couple of yards away, "SHURA!!"

Cole knew she should have kept Akira from seeing this. From the bottom of her heart she had been set on protecting the young, impressionable wolf from seeing Shura's body, but… but seeing Akira like this….

Cole was unable to force her to stay away. Akira needed to see Shura. With a worried whine, Cole paced back and forth indecisively. She sat on her haunches finally with another high pitched whine, deciding to keep watch over the den while Akira had her last moments with the body of Shura, "Zali… I'm sorry." She flopped her ears down and lowered her head in mourning for Shura.

Akira all but barreled into the entrance of the ruined building they'd claimed as their den. Her momentum was too built up for such a quick stop and sent her clumsily stumbling over herself. After struggling like a new born pup learning to walk, Akira found her footing again and panted for breath as she frantically searched the interior of the ruins, "Shura! SHU-," her breath caught in her throat, nearly causing her to choke.

As she panted for breath, blood soaked her senses. Her eyes darted with horror around the back wall where Shura usually slept, it was painted with dark splashes of blood that still seemed to run down the walls and pool at the floor. Bullet holes close together lined the wall; they hadn't used a shot gun, that was for sure. There were too many holes and too close together for a shot gun to have fired. Akira let out her breath in a whoosh as she took a few steps further in, but sucked it back in sharply when her paw felt warm liquid. She looked down with terror to see that the liquid was blood as well.

"Oh… oh my god…" she shuddered in panic as she took in the signs of struggle everywhere in the ground and along the walls. Shura must have put up a fight. That would explain the few batches of stray bullets along the other walls.

Her stomach felt like it was turning on its self. She had tired breathing through her mouth to keep the intensity of the blood scent out of her senses, but it was on her tongue now as well. Her eyes started to water and her head felt heavy. She felt her legs go weak as she swayed a bit, "Sh-Shura…" she gasped out breathlessly.

A whine answered her. It was so weak and soft, Akira thought she was hearing things, "SHURA?" she called out stronger. She held her breath, trying to ignore the thunder of her heart beat in her ears to listen of the sound again.

Another pitiful whine, "SHURA!" Akira bounded towards the back wall, frantically searching. All she saw was red. Blood.

A small movement caught her eye, sharply she turned her head to the left, "Oh... please god… no…" once again her flighty breath was stole from her.

"A…Akira…?" the voice was weak, and only a breath of a whisper, but it was a sign that she was alive. Akira nearly died on the spot with the sudden wave of relief; Shura was alive!

Shura was lying on her side in the darkest corner of the den. It looked as if she were trying to escape the hail of bullets by wedging herself under one of the fallen pillars, but lost her strength half way. Her head was sticking out where the moonlight could catch her. A puddle of blood soaked around her body and her fur was so dark and matted with blood that Akira couldn't even tell where one wound started and another ended. Her canine tongue lolled out of her jaws and a slow, steady gush of blood oozed out of her mouth and nose with each struggle for breath. It was a miracle she was alive- if you could call her condition living.

"Shura!" Akira the red wolf bounded towards Shura's fallen body, quickly taking on her human form as she fell to her knees, ignoring the fact that her jeans were getting soaked in blood, "I'm here now! Don't die on me! You can make it! I know, Toboe knows where some healing herbs are! I'll go find him and," Shura shook her head slowly to stop Akira's rambling with a weak paw stretching to rest on Akira's knee.

"No, Akira ….." she took in a steady breath of air, coughing around the blood as Akira leaned in closer to her head, "We both know my time has come. I'll leave this world and return to … Sasuke… be-before you got her, I thought I was dreaming and saw him wai-waiting for me at… paradise…" she hacked as her windpipe was blocked by more blood, struggling to regain her breath.

"Don't talk like that, you'll be okay." Akira's tears started to fall as she gently lifted the older wolfs head in her lap and started to stroke it much like Shura used to do when Akira herself was sick as a child, "You can pull through this, I know you can! Please don't leave me! Papa can't have you yet! We both have to make it to paradise!" with her hands becoming slick with blood, Akira closed her eyes as she started to sob. Shura was leaving her….. Just like everyone else. And just like everyone else, Akira was too weak and powerless to stop them.

Akira stiffened in surprise when a very human hand cupped her cheek. She looked down to see Shura's human form looking up at her with those gentle violet eyes. She had waist length brunette hair with silver streaks in it to show for her aging years. Her face looked like that of a slightly aged older woman. Though she wore a simple sweater, jacket and winter skirt, her clothes were ripped and tattered from the assault, but it wasn't as drastic-looking in this form. Her clothes hid most of the extent of her fatal wounds well. When she had Akira's attention, she smiled weakly, but she used what was left of her strength to keep her voice steady and strong.

"Why are you crying? I will never leave you, and your father never has left you. He's here still, Akira. Watching you all this time like he always has. He says he's sorry for what pain he's caused you….. and he wants you to forgive him if you can." She said softly like one would comfort a crying child.

"You…. You can see him?" Akira blinked back her tears, raising a hand to cup Shura's hand on her cheek.

"I always have." Shura nodded as she slowly sat up eye level with Akira, not bothering to heed Akira's pleas for her to lay still, "These past few months have been bearable because he's been in my dreams, watching over us."

"Please don't Shura!" she begged, "Just sit and rest, you can pull through this," the steady gaze of acceptance in Shura's eyes said otherwise and made Akira's tears return full force, but she struggled to keep them at bay, "Please, Shura… don't leave me, not like the others…. Please! If not, then let me die too, so we can go to paradise together with papa!" she begged, her hand lowering from her cheek to grasp Shura's shoulders firmly as if she thought she could keep Shura's spirit grounded that way. Her own shoulders shook with the force she was using to hold herself back.

"Now, now, Akira…" Shura leaned her forehead weakly on Akira's, "You can't die. Not yet. There's still people who need you; like Heart, those boys… and Cheza."

"None of that matters!" Akira bit back as the tears escaped, "None of it matters if it means I have watch you leave me! Mother already left me to fend for myself, but you took me in even after you found out I was a hybrid! You can't leave me like she did! I won't let another mother leave me!" her emotions swelled inside her like a chaotic hurricane and became too much for Akira. She wailed out, crying like a distressed child and buried herself in her step-mother's lap, clinging for dear life with her arms wrapped around Shura's waist as if she were a life line while she broke down and sobbed for all she was worth.

"Please," she whispered through her sobs, "Please don't abandon me like she did, please!"

Shura grunted and flinched as Akira's movements caused more pain to tare inside her. She knew she didn't have much longer in this world, but she refused to give in just yet. Not when Akira need her for just a moment longer. With a shaky sigh, Shura slowly hugged her step-daughter to herself and stroked the long, gentle waves of crimson hair to help calm Akira's sobs. Her violet eyes were holding back the pain for just a moment longer as her resolve solidified.

"Akira," she whispered softly, her voice was thankfully strong again as it only wavered just slightly with the gravity of her wounds, "Do you remember the lullaby your father taught me when you were younger? The one I used to sing to you as a pup when I held you like this?"

Akira hiccupped a breath and sniveled, but nodded into Shura's lap, "J-Jasper said… said that my mother sang a lot when we were… were in a pack."

"That's right," Shura agreed, "And every time I sang it to you, no matter how distressed you were, you'd end up feeling better and even sang with me, remember? Sasuke and Jasper did too." The elder woman smiled gently, swallowing back the blood that started to slowly escape in her throat.

"I … I remember…" Akira nodded again in Shura's lap.

Shura stopped running her hand through Akira's hair, feeling too tired to keep moving her arm as she sighed once more, "Akira, will you find it funny if I sang it to you one last time?" Akira froze in her lap, "And, Akira, promise me something; a last request if you will." Shura knew she didn't have much time left, "When I pass on, I want you to follow the others to paradise. They need you more than I, now, and Cheza needs you as well."

Akira shot up, "But, Shura!"

"Promise me, Akira." Shura met Akira's shocked orange eyes with her own gentle violet ones that no one could refuse, "Promise me you will take Cheza and the others to paradise? Help as many as you can get there, just like your papa taught you."

"Shura…" Akira didn't know how to respond to that. She was at a loss.

"Promise me." Shura's stare bore into Akira as if she were looking into her soul, asking her to accept this request with her utmost being.

"I… I promise, Shura. I won't give up until I reach paradise with the others. I promise…" Akira nodded, tears flooding her eyes again as she slowly slid down to rest in Shura's lap again.

"That's a good girl, Akira. Sasuke and I will be waiting for you there…" she sat in silence, holding her daughter to her frame as Akira's tears fell again helplessly. Shura prayed to the Moon that she could have this last ounce of strength to say her finally good bye as her gently softened soprano-alto voice carried in a whisper across the darkness of the den in the lullaby Sasuke had taught her long ago….

_Little child, be not afraid  
The rain pounds harsh against the glass  
Like an unwanted stranger  
There is no danger  
I am here tonight_

Little child  
Be not afraid  
Though thunder explodes  
And lightning flash  
Illuminates your tearstained face  
I am here tonight

And someday you'll know  
That nature is so  
This same rain that draws you near me  
Falls on rivers and land  
And forests and sand  
Makes the beautiful world that you see  
In the morning

Little child  
Be not afraid  
The storm clouds mask your beloved moon  
And its candlelight beams  
Still keep pleasant dreams  
I am here tonight

Little child  
Be not afraid  
The wind makes creatures of our trees  
And the branches to hands  
They're not real, understand  
And I am here tonight

And someday you'll know  
That nature is so  
This same rain that draws you near me  
Falls on rivers and land  
And forest and sand  
Makes the beautiful world that you see  
In the morning  


Shura could feel her breath failing her, but she strove to hold on just a bit longer as she gathered Akira in her arms tightly, holding her head to her chest as she whispered the last few words of the song gently….

_  
Everything's fine in the morning  
The rain will be gone in the morning  
But I'll still be here in the morning_

Akira could feel Shura's breath struggling in her ear. Her acute hearing caught the sound of her failing heart and the scent of death was quickly over taking the she-wolfs honey-lily musk that identified her as Shura's living being.

"Shh..Shura?" Akira's own voice came out creaked and shaky like a young child who didn't understand. She tried to pull away from Shura to look her in the eye, but Shura held fast to her, keeping the young woman close to her body as she hugged her for the last time.

"My dear child," Shura felt tears of blood running down her cheeks as her body strained in its last few moments of living, "Never forget that your father and I loved you. Your mother loves you too… but I always saw you as my own. Both you and Jasper. Never forget our love, Akira..." she swallowed once more, but this time, the blood was persistent and would not be held at bay. It would suffocate her if she didn't give into death soon, "Akira…. I lo…I love yo..youhhh" her breath fell through her soft lips as she finally gave in to deaths comforting embrace. The last few tears she shed flowed down her face and dripped into Akira's hair.

Akira felt Shura's hold go lax and felt her heart drop, "No…" she whispered as she pulled away and took hold of Shura's shoulders. Shura's head was bowed and her eyes closed. Her face was content, but Akira could detect no heartbeat and the scent of death was overwhelming like the scent of blood everywhere on Akira's body and throughout the den.

"Shura?" she tried.

No response. In an instant, the human body that was once Shura became a wolf that lay still and peacefully on her side. Her tongue, tainted red with the blood that flowed over it, lolled through her teeth, but her nostrils were still and no breath came, ever again.

With a whine, Akira shifted to her own wolf form and nuzzled Shura's cheek while her paw rested on her shoulder, gently shaking her to try and get a response, "Shura," she tried again, this time in wolf form. Once more silence. There was only a strange fluttering sound that Akira couldn't understand. She tilted her head towards the noise as her own heart beat faster, hoping beyond hope that the fluttering noise that sounded akin to a small heartbeat was in fact Shura's last signs of hope for life. She shifted down Shura's body to press her ear against Shura's side where her heart would be, near where Akira had held her paw earlier. She ignored the way the old blood clung to the soft red fur of her ear as she tried to will her heart to be silent so she could hear the small sign of life, but …

The beating wasn't coming from Shura's chest. Akira's eyes widened in realization- THE PUPS!

With a yelp of surprise, she scrambled to Shura's stomach and held her breath as she pressed her ear to the still abdomen. Sure enough, the small flutter was a combination of … three hearts. Three small separate beats that was so weak and fragile that they were weakening quickly.

"Shura!" Akira shouted to try and wake up her mother as she butted her nose against Shura's neck and head, trying to get her to wake up, "Shura! Come on, get up! You can't die yet! You're killing the pups! They're dying, Shura!"

But Shura was already gone, her spirit wasn't inside her anymore and her body was a hallow shell without life. It had shut down already and stopped supporting the pups. Frantic to save the pups, Akira paced up and down the length of her step-mothers body, whining and moaning in her wolf form in distress, 'What do I DO!?'

A sudden thought came to her- cut open the stomach and free the pups. Her eyes widened. Cut open the stomach?? She couldn't do that to Shura's body! She stopped her pacing and stared at the stomach as the heart beats got too weak to hear unless she held her breath, "They're… dying!" her paws pressed against the stomach in alarm, "NO! Hold on! Don't you guys die too! Please!" she shouted at the stomach, but the heartbeats were stuttering- they were failing. It was already too late. It had been too late since Shura had been attacked. The pups wouldn't survive either way since Shura's damage had been too great on her stomach and womb, but Akira refused to believe it. She shoved all her weight on the stomach as if she were trying to force Shura's body to go into labor even after death, "RELEASE THEM!" she cried out, "DON'T LET THEM DIE!"

The front of her body was so doused with blood that her paws were slippery and slid out from under Akira. The frantic wolf fell over the body, panting hard as she struggled to get back up and try again, "Come on!" tears fell from her orange eyes and dripped down from her furry cheeks as she choked back sob after sob. Her vision became blurry as her shoulders shook. She could no longer hear anything. The little heartbeats had given up and were gone, joining their mother in death. They were gone. All of them were gone. And they weren't coming back.

She couldn't hold it in any longer. Akira's head thrust back as she howled. She howled until her lungs hurt and her voice went nearly hoarse. She had lowered herself to lie alongside her mother's still body and had become still after her eyes hurt form crying so much. In human form, her eyes would have been puffy, but in her wolf form, she was able to hide the fact that she was crying, if only her tears could stop. And they did. Slowly, they stopped.

'_They need you…'_ Shura's voice echoed in her head. Akira's ears barely perked when she heard howling from the others. They were looking for her, but she didn't want to leave Shura… not just yet.

"…Akira…" Akira's eyes shifted to the entrance while her body remained still, spying Cole's human form waiting there. Her arms were hugging her own frame as she lowered her head, unable to look at Akira or the body of Shura, "They…they're being chased, now. The humans are after those boys and Heart." Akira knew what she really meant. The others wouldn't be able to wait on her much longer.

"I understand." Akira's voice was a soft whisper, but she was proud that its strength was gaining, even though her inner strength was diminishing. Without Shura, she hardly knew what to live for anymore. Wasn't she the last of her family?

No. Shura made her promise. Sasuke would want Akira to be strong, especially now. With that in mind, Akira forced her pain down, though it was difficult. She would face these growing demons later, but now the others needed her. Her new pack needed her. She stood in her human form, ignoring Cole's gasp.

"Oh god, Akira… the… the blood?" Cole breath rasped out as she approached Akira.

"None of its mine." Akira replied in a dry tone, but both of their eyes strayed to Shura's body for a moment, "Not mine." Akira repeated as she tore her eyes away while Cole went to work using her own scarf to wipe away the blood.

"Akira!" this time it was Toboe, "Akira where are you!"

"Hey!" Hige called.

Cole was able to get the blood to stop dripping off Akira to where it wasn't so gruesome of a sight, but she could do nothing about the smudges and smears of it all over her skin and how it soaked in her clothes, but Akira stopped her.

"That's good enough, Cole. Thank you." Akira's hand covered Cole's to stop her as she shook her head no. she turned to the entrance and started to walk out.

"Akira.." Cole could feel the pain. It was sympathetic pain, since she hardly knew the young wolf or her mother, but it still hurt none the less. She held back the tears though. Seeing Akira's own eyes that had slight swollenness to them showed that Akira didn't need any more tears at the moment, but that didn't mean that they would never come. She was bidding time for the pain, "such… strength..."

"Akiraaaaaaa!" Heart called.

Akira found the others with Zali in their human forms near the entrance to the 'path to paradise' searching frantically for her. She stepped forward and held her hand up as she started to run after them, sensing the urgency in the air, "OVER HERE! HERE I AM!" She called, drawing their attention.

"Hurry!" Toboe called back as he started running forward to catch up to her and join her back with the others. It was in his nature as one that was just out of pup years to be so energetic. When he and Akira joined the others, Heart didn't waste time as she gathered Akira into a big bear hug, crushing Akira before she had time to breathe.

"Akira, I'm… Akira I," she didn't know what words to say, "I'm so..."

"Heart, its fine." Akira pulled away. She had to be a bit forceful with getting Heart to let go, but once their eyes caught one another, Heart's understanding set in.

"You… you were there with Shura when she…"

"She was alive still when I found her. She wanted to tell me her last words before she died, and I spent her last few moments with her…" Akira said softly. The others knew she cried. They could smell it on her: the bitter tang of the salt in tears clung to her cheeks as well as the overwhelming scent of blood and death. All of them stared with varying degrees of awe at the smears of blood all over her exposed skin and in her matted hair. Her clothing was drying in it, setting an even more foul scent that mixed with her embedded scent of the Lunar Flower. It created an alarming new scent of wolf blood and the Lunar Flower.

Zali was able to snap out of it when Cole touched his arm. He seemed surprised she was there, "Cole?"

"You must go now. The humans will be here soon." Cole urged him, "Take them to the pathway. I will head off the humans as best I could, but they can still track you here."

"Right." Zali shook his head to snap out of it and then nodded his okay for her to leave. Soon as she left his side he turned to the others, "Let's move- follow my lead!" he ordered as he hoisted himself through the boarded off entrance, slipping through one of the cracks in wolf form. The others followed suit.

"I didn't think you'd go back there after you found out what happened…" Heart sympathized while she trotted in front of Akira in the single file line the wolves created down the narrow tunnel way. They were in a hurry, but Zali didn't want to set of any kind of lingering security trap down here. He led the way with Kiba behind him. In order it from Kiba down the line: Hige, Heart, Akira, Toboe and then Tsume picked up the rear, keeping watch on their backs just in case the humans were quicker than they thought.

"Akira," Zali asked after a long silence in the cramped, dark tunnel, "How are you feeling, kid? Your mom just died, but you barely made a sound since all this happened, and you're covered in blood." His steady deep voice carried the question they all were thinking, but none of them were brave enough to ask.

"She didn't want me to mourn her death. And she sang to me before she died." Akira replied with a sad smile, "Now is not the time to cry anyways."

"I thought I heard her sad song." Heart remarked fondly,"We barely heard it carried in the wind when we walked in the Cemetery looking for you."

"That was Shura?" Toboe asked, "It was so… beautiful! It made me really sad just listening to it, and I wanted to cry…and yet at the same time, it made me feel peaceful."

"I haven't heard a voice like that even in humans!" Hige was awed, "She really was something." He turned his head to look back at Akira curiously.

"She used to sing to me like that when I was a pup and I got sick or couldn't sleep at night. She wanted to sing it to me one last time….," Akira softly said once again.

"Well I for one am still not liking it here in this dark, cramped, creepy-smelly thing! Are you sure it's safe? I don't like tight spots like this!" Hige whined, changing subject from Akira to give her a break.

"It's better than being thrown in the incinerator." Tsume snorted.

"Relax, it's not much further before it opens up wider." Zali said.

The cramped tunnel gave way to a small drop that Zali rolled out of. He landed on his feet, ignoring the way the dirt rustled around him at his disturbance as he focused his attention on the wide tunnel now before him and waited for the others to emerge. The tunnel was dark, too dark for human eyes, but for a wolf, it was like looking down a heavily shadowed thicket on a moonlit night- dark and daunting, but not completely blinding. The tunnel itself was about as wide as a four-lane highway and as tall as a subway tunnel. There were traces of ancient tracks underneath the many layers of dirt, so it had been assumed that it had once been a subway station in an age very distant from now.

Zali could feel a strange shiver roll down his spine as he took on human form, signaling the others to do so as well. The last time he had been here was when he and his friends had had their go at paradise… and failed. This tunnel had fated he and his pack to remain on the island, but maybe for these kids, this tunnel would grant them a different fate. He turned to face the younger pack once he noticed they had all arrived and were looking around with only slight trepidation. His eyes landed on Akira and he felt a wave of fatherly worry. He would be sending her away with these guys to paradise… he once again glanced at the tunnel reconsidering…

It looked promising enough…

"The fumes that took down my pack have dissipated over the years." He reassured them, then caught eyes with Kiba who met him boldly like an alpha should, "This is where I leave you though. I go no further than this."

The others shifted confused, "You're not going too?" Kiba asked, his cool blue eyes were stoic as ever, but there was a glint in them that betrayed the young wolf.

"I had my chance at Paradise." Zali shook his head with a shrug of his shoulders, "I guess it's just not meant for me. Besides, I can't leave my pack like this and just up and leave Cole for Paradise." Zali grinned in his confidant way, "I only led ya here to make sure you didn't screw up and force me into savin one of your asses again."

"You know, that doesn't make you much of a wolf." Tsume accused with the slight jab of words that had Zali's eyes as well as the others snapping to the grey wolf.

"Tsume!" Kiba snapped at him.

Tsume caught Hearts warning glare and rolled his eyes, "Look, a wolf protects its own. It's just unnatural for one, especially an Alpha to look after another pack."

Akira had never heard of such a thing. She eyed Tsume, wondering of all wolves held this belief or if he was just hardened by the years. Her father had always taught her in a more pacifist way of life; look after those in need and show mercy to even enemies. She started to doubt if other wolves had her kind of view point. Even Heart regarded Akira's thoughts as strange. She dragged her eyes from Tsume to Zali. Now that she thought of it, Zali had been surprised and wary of her when they first met because of her opinions.

Zali paused for a moment before chuckling, shrugging off the comment as if it wasn't really that insulting to him, "Looks like I'm pretty far gone from Wolf Honor code then, huh?" Smirking at the boys to show just how much he didn't really give a rat's ass, Zali's eyes fell on Akira who stood close to Heart with her eyes down cast and vacant. His smirk fell as he approached her, the boys moved out of his way as he passed and he gently rest a large hand on her small shoulder, making her look even smaller and fragile. Her tiny body jumped as if he had snapped her out of thought and her eyes darted from his had to Zali's eyes alarmed.

"Z-Zali?" he took in her bright orange eyes and resigned himself the inevitable goodbye to this special she-wolf and her friend.

"Akira, listen, I don't want you to feel that you have to stay here. I'm sure Shura would have wanted you to go with them even if she were still alive…" he said softly.

The corner of Akira's mouth jerked up slightly in a small smile at the irony, "Actually, she did want me to go to paradise…" she lowered her eyes again. The strong feelings concerning Shura's death were still very raw and very volatile. She sucked in a deep breath through her nostrils as she tried to calm herself, 'Not yet.' She thought inwardly as she felt the haphazard mental dam that she just built in her mind give a little at the overwhelming, 'Don't breakdown just yet…'

"Then you should go." Zali's voice once again brought her eyes up to his again as he squeezed her shoulder fondly and let go then let go and took a step back away from her, catching eyes with Heart, "I have a feeling you won't stay here long either…"

"Nah," Heart grinned devilishly as she hooked an arm around Akira's shoulders, "Where this gal goes, I'll follow. Just to keep trouble off her back," she teased while Akira tried to get away from her grasp.

"Heart-!" Akira yelped embarrassed, making the others smile.

Zali looked over his shoulder to eye the boys, "That is if these punks don't mind having a few pretty girls tag along..?"

"Hell, wouldn't be a guy to say no to that!" Hige rubbed a finger under his nose sheepishly with a wide grin that had Heart glaring at him, "What??" he backed off at the she-wolfs warning, but Akira was oblivious.

"Heh heh, Yeah!" Toboe caught on to the rising mood easily as he smiled genuinely to the girls and folded his arms behind his head, "I'd love to have you guys come with us! It'll be fun with all of us going!" he grinned, happy to get Akira to grin back at him. He didn't like seeing her so depressed like she was.

"Thank you, Toboe," Akira replied with a warm hearted smile.

Toboe had to fight a blush. He quickly turned to Tsume, "Well, how 'bout it, Tsume?" the young wolf's enthusiasm seemed to get on Tsume's nerves as he rolled his eyes and grunted at the pup before turning his sharp golden eyes on the pair of females. Though he didn't hate either of them, he didn't relish the idea of having another naïve pup like Toboe around, and Akira seemed just as oblivious to danger if not more so than Toboe.

But one look in those anxious orange eyes had any negative words he would have said caught in his throat. Tearing his gaze away from them, he cleared his throat about to reply, but never got the words out. The wind was nearly knocked out of him when he felt a 'friendly' jab in the back nearly make him stumble forward. Tsume coughed as he turned a heated glare at the perpetrator, only to widen at seeing Heart laughing at him.

"Oh, come now, we know he doesn't mind!" she grinned brightly, "And if he does, then he can take it up with me." Her red eyes promised him that she would not take lightly to him if that were the case, though she still smiled widely.

Tsume looked from her to Akira then back, 'How the hell'd she get behind me so fast like that…' he wondered.

"Right, Tsume?" her voice was sickly sweet in a way only threatening women can pull off.

"Yeah, sure." Well he was male….

Akira seemed relieved at his answer, but her anxiety returned once more as they all turned to the last of them, Kiba, "K...Kiba?" she didn't know why her heart was pounding so loud in her ears all of the sudden. She had been nervous to hear Tsume's answer since Tsume seemed to be the pessimist of the group, but it was nothing compared to the fear she felt for Kiba's answer. If he were to reject her joining them, she wasn't sure how'd she take it…

Her worries weren't grounded however, and she was almost in shock when Kiba smiled warmly at her, dazzling her with the liquid blue of his eyes, "If you hadn't have said anything, I would have asked." He nodded then held a hand out to her, "Welcome to the journey."

Akira had thought they were further apart, but when Kiba reached out his hand to her, his fingers were almost able to touch her. She took an apprehensive step back and looked around at the encouraging faces of the others… her new pack. She felt a sudden wave of calm flow through her as her resolve for Paradise solidified within her and her assurance emboldened as she no longer hesitated to lift her hand to his proffered one.

"Thank you." She replied as he squeezed her hand

"Alright," Zali's voice brought them all back to him as he pointed down the dark tunnel, "This road should help you get to Paradise. Just follow it in a straight line and ignore any turn offs that may be down it." Zali's eyes were on Kiba, but they shifted down to Akira, noticing that the two were still holding hands, then looked back at Kiba, "You take care of these girls." His golden honey eyes were serious, but his voice held a tenderness to it like a father would hold for his daughter he was giving away to the groom.

"I will." Kiba nodded tightly. His eyes darted to Akira when she realized they were still holding hands and jerked her hand away. Her own orange eyes made the mistake of crossing paths with his blue ones and she quickly looked away back to Zali, using the excuse to rush forward and embrace Zali and taking him off guard.

"Take care of Cole," she muffled into his chest as he hugged her back, "And don't forget us, ok?" she felt the urge to cry but held it back as she bit her lower lip, "I'll miss you guys."

Zali's eyes softened at the young wolf's soft heart and hugged her tighter to him. This was it, he had to say goodbye to this angelic spirit. She had shown him that even wolves were able to live compassionately, "Don't worry yourself, kido," he chuckled deeply as he pulled her out of his embrace, holding her shoulders as he got a good look in her eyes, smiling when he noticed she was tearing up again, "Cole and I will never forget you or Heart. Just promise me that you'll get to Paradise, and I won't have to track you down myself and send you there with my own hands." He smirked at her as he let go of her shoulders.

Akira grinned and whipped the tears from her eyes while he stepped back away from her and Hige stepped forward, resting his elbow on her shoulder with a goofy grin on his face giving Zali a thumbs-up sign, "Eh, no worries pops. We'll get the girls there safe and sound." His grin widened in a purely male fashion that had Zali gritting his teeth.

"Good… because it's your ass that's going to get busted if not." Zali smirked dangerously, though he was only half-way kidding.

Hige gulped and backed away from Akira.

"Rest assured though, we'll get there." Everyone was surprised to find that it was Tsume who was reassuring him now. The grey wolf's stance was sturdy with his arms crossed over his chest and leaning his weight mostly on one foot in his 'I'm a badass' way, "We will succeed where your pack failed." He then gnashed his teeth at Kiba in an urgent fashion, "Kiba, are we just going to sit here talking all night or are we going to see where this road goes?"

"Tsume..?" Kiba was just as shocked as the other three he'd traveled with thus far that Tsume was actually backing up their goal of their journey. Out of all four, he was the most doubtful of Paradise originally, but that seemed to be changing. Usually, Tsume was crass about the entire idea, going so far as to abruptly shoot down any fantasy thoughts Hige or Toboe spoke about how they thought Paradise would be once they got there. Yet here he was, boasting that they would best Zali's pack and reach Paradise before giving up. Kiba couldn't do much else other than nod mutely his response and watched dumbly as Tsume rolled his eyes and took on his wolf form, trotting off down the tunnel. His dark fur nearly allowed him to blend in with the shadows, but the padding of his paws in the dirt gave him away.

"Then let's get a move on." Tsume's voice carried through the dark.

Heart and Hige shared a look and then Heart looked to Akira. Seeing as Akira was fine on her own, Heart took on wolf form as well, followed by Hige and together, the two made their way after Tsume, trotting faster to catch up. Hige's brown fur was more noticeable in the dark, but Heart was invisible in the dark.

Toboe watched them go and seemed about to follow them, but reconsidered it when he noticed that neither Akira nor Kiba had made a move to follow just yet. He curiously watched after them, but Hige called back to him sharply, "Hurry up runt, or you'll fall behind again!"

"Ah! Coming!" Toboe yelped as the rustic red wolf shifted and darted off after the others, "HEY! I'm not a runt!" his voice shrilled through the dark, making Kiba smile after them. He knew they would be fine with the new additions. Heart and Akira were already easily enough to accept into their group of bachelors.

He turned back to Akira and Zali, waiting patiently for Akira to make her final goodbyes before he lead her off to the others. Akira had her arms around Zali's neck again, giving him one final hug as she kissed the middle aged wolf's scared cheek in farewell. Kiba felt a sting of something deep inside him, but he held off the instinctive growl, not really knowing why he had the sudden urge to growl. He narrowed his eyes on the back of Akira's head suspiciously, 'What the hell is up with this female…' he thought and shook his head. Nothing was up with her, he was just anxious to get to Cheza… yeah, Cheza. That's what was wrong with him.

Akira once again backed up a step from Zali and hugged her arms around her waist while trying again to hold back her tears biting her lip, but they still welled up into her eyes, making them glisten as she sniveled them back, "Take... Take care of Shura for me, will you? Can you… well, can you clean up her fur and get her body out of the blood bath?" she requested, feeling her pain from Shura's death threaten to overtake her again. She lowered her head, not wanting to let Zali and Kiba know just how much pain she was holding back.

However, the gravity of her pain still reached both of them, and they both felt individual guilt that she was feeling this way and they were nearly helpless to help her with it. It was just a natural thing to die, but it didn't make it any less painful for anyone even among the lupine species.

Zali's honey eyes never wavered from the top of her head as she hid her tears under her long red hair. He put a palm on top of her head, startling her into jumping in surprise, "We'll give her a proper burial under the moonlight tonight before dawn," he nodded his compliance as she looked up wide eyed at him. He winked and then shooed her off, "Off with ya, kid! The others could be half way there by now!" he pushed on her head so she'd get the point, almost shoving her down the path as she shook his hold on her head off.

Akira smiled and clasped her hands together in front of her, bowing low at the waist formally, "Thank you for all you've done, Zali." She thanked.

"Off with you!" he shooed.

Akira grinned and turned around to head off after the others. Half turned away, she had revered to wolf form and bolted down the path, leaving her long tail to whiplash in her wake and leaving Kiba alarmed that she had changed so suddenly. The white wolf streaked in a flash of white after her, easily catch up to her and leading her down the dark path, "GOOD BYE ZALI!" she called the soft jingle of her dog chain bounced around her furry chest as her swift little paws carried her alongside Kiba's larger form towards her new pack.

Zali watched after them until he could only barely hear the scratch of paws on the dirt in the darkness, "Take care of her, Kiba." He whispered as he started back up the tunnel.

0.0/\^_^/\*o*/\T-T/\./\-_-;/\V_V/\(_)/\0_o;

"Look who finally decided to show up," Tsume jibbed as Kiba's white fur stood out in a white-shadowed streak as he made his way to the head of the pack soon as he and Akira caught up. Akira was content to merely catch up with the group, running alongside Toboe who greeted her with a wide smile which she returned, thankful for his happy-nature that was so easy to catch on to.

"Seemed kinda easy for them to catch up, though doncha think?" Heart teased back from where she flanked left behind Tsume while Hige took up the other side, "You're leading us at a slow pace, Tsume, what's the matter, getting old?"

"Shut up, bitch." Tsume quipped back without losing stride, making Heart laugh at him, "I said shut up!"

She just laughed harder.

"Shut the hell up or I'll make you!" Tsume bit back at her, turning his head to glare at her.

"It's wise to watch where you're going, Big-Bad-Wolf…" Heart remarked dryly.

"Do you ever shut up?" he rolled his eyes, turning away from her, intent on ignoring her.

"Do you know any other words to silence me other than 'shut up bitch'?" she mocked his deep voice terribly, making Hige chortle, and Tsume's anger spike.

"I wouldn't have been slowing the pace down if _someone_ didn't decide to hang back too long." He shot at Kiba.

Kiba didn't take offense at all and commented almost automatically in his usual stoic voice, "Akira had some last minute goodbyes to get across." The white wolf replied without even looking back.

"See? It's still one of the bitches fault! They all whine so much its aggravating!" Tsume snapped, latching on to anything that he could vent on.

Akira's ears snapped up. She was she was the reason for Tsume's anger?? Akira tried not to whine as her ears pinned back to her skull shamefully, but a small one escaped her lips, making her eyes widen, and alerting the others that Tsume's harsh words had hurt her.

"What still whining?" Tsume bit back without really thinking.

"Would you just lay off and knock that out?" Heart bit back, catching Tsume off guard as she suddenly appeared at his side and knocked her shoulder into him for a reprimanding shove while they ran. He almost lost his footing, he was so surprised.

"Wha?"

"Yeah!" Toboe's young voice cut in, making Tsume reeeally surprised- now the runt was getting on his case, "Why do you gotta be so mean and snap at Akira all the time! What'd she ever do to you?" the youngest defended with a slight growl in his voice as he ran beside Akira, trying to cheer her up again, 'And I just got her to smile again too,' he thought forlornly.

"That's just low, man." Hige snorted, "Picking on a chick when she's already got enough to worry about."

Kiba was silent, but Tsume knew that the white wolf was only that way because the others were already getting on his ass about snapping at Akira. Tsume didn't answer that, out loud at least, 'Why are they defending her? She's a hybrid, even if she did go through a death, it doesn't mean they should baby her like this,' he thought as he eyed the young fox-coated-wolf that worked harder to stay caught up with the rest. Her legs weren't as long as everyone else's she was only slightly smaller than Toboe, but unlike the pup, her height wasn't from her long legs. She had smaller, lither legs and a more slender body with a longer neck like a fox, yet unlike the pup, she was full grown. Toboe still had a few more inches left in him at least and his legs would get even longer, but Akira's small stride was probably as long as she'd get.

"How long does this thing go anyways?" Akira asked to no one in particular taking the heat off Tsume, since he had done so for her before.

"Does it look like any of us have been here?" Hige smarted off, but quickly backed off at Hearts glare. He knew he should have been able to ignore her glare, since he was used to females glaring at him, but this time, Kiba was also glaring at him through the corner of his golden eye. He knew Heart wouldn't actually attack him, but with the way Kiba was warning him, Hige almost thought the white wolf leader would turn on him any second he said a wrong word about Akira.

'What's his problem?' Hige thought with a flop of one ear, 'Tsume said something worse, but I get a death glare!' life was so unfair.

Toboe's rusty furry ears perked forward excitedly as he launched himself into longer strides, pulling away from a startled Akira suddenly as he turned back to her with his tongue lolling out, "Do you see that?" he asked, acting every bit the eager pup he really was, "HEY! I think I see something up a head! Come one Akira! Look- IT'S THE END!"

"The end?" Akira tilted her head as she bounded to catch up to the zealous pup. A strange smell swarmed her nostrils, enticing her to stretch her neck and sniff a bit, "What's that smell? It's making my throat dry."

"That's fresh water!" Hige replied eagerly, "We really must be near the end if we see light and smell fresh water!" he also pushed himself faster.

"We're almost out then!" Heart exclaimed while they all sped faster and faster in haste to get out of the dark and reach the end of the ominous tunnel. Each excited to see the end and what t held. The white light of dawn poured upon them so suddenly that they ran into a strong flash of light, having changed from near darkness to the birth of a near new day. They closed their eyes to ward off the sudden change and protect their eyes, sliding to a stop as dirt gave way to rich grass…

**A/N- **I'm changing a lot more than I thought I was going to. I'm practically going through each paragraph and changing it to sound… well… more educated I guess and not like a twelve-year-old writing it (I have no grudges against you younger ones! That's just think I wrote waayy to simple when I was your age ^_^ I 3 u all!) LOL!

Well it's 2010! Yay! It's been a decade since the millennia! I still have my pony boy (my baby Derby!) but keep me in your prayers because if I do not get a job, bye bye baby (X_X… nooooo!)

**Wow… and the song that just came on Itunes is "My Immortal" by Evanesence when I wrote that I might lose Derby…. (looks at Itunes) How do u DO that???**

**Review response!**

**Canis Simensis- ** I'm so happy there's a new reader! I also grew up with WolfsRain, and obviously it inspired me to write this story, as well as when I was reading the manga and the song "Lullaby for a Stormy Night" by Vienna Teng came on my CD player (yup that long ago LOL!) I got the basic plot that way and it just… became a monster and ran away on its own. LMAO! The silver gig is actually an edited in thing. I got the idea from reading the many were wolf books I do and wanted to do more twists to the story with what I've been reading and improve it from … oh wow, eight years ago! Lol, wait till we get to the later chapter! ^_^ welcome aboard!

**Carnage- **Yup I missed a bit of a scene in the last one. I banged my head on the wall when I actually reread the edited version and the original before I realized it. (stupid- BANG. Stupid- BANG!) and hell we all hate Mose! I just wanted to emphasize his character in a way Bones never did. Sadly, his attitude is waaay more human than most want to admit. (Just watch Avatar the new Animated Movie. Reeeeally makes you hate your own race for a while. Lol)

**Venom- **LOL! Carnage hogged your computer that much, huh? Lol I know how that feels to share, but my sister was a bit more…. Scary. Lol! Luckily for college I have my laptop! Yays! Mine! I'm proud that my own hatred of Mose got across, but I didn't decide to kill him. He's just not worth the time anymore. Lol I had a great Xmas thank you! Hope u did too!

**PussycatLover-** Like I said before I'm sooo happy that you're pleased with the edits. The fact that all of you are so enthusiastic fires me up to want to write LFASN better than before! My roommate calls me Zombie because I'll be up with my muse cackling some times. Lol! I think you and KillerHotFeline didn't get to see the last edited scene thought in the last chapter. I added it at the last second after a day of publishing it, because I forgot a scene (bows over and over- sorry sorry sorry sorry!)

**KillerHotFeline- **Kiba druggy scene was one of my faves! I feel sooo evil when I rewrite his scenes with Akira because he feels for her, but then doubles back and doesn't understand quiet what or why he's feeling! I love playing with the stoic ones like Kiba when they don't get on my nerves (BYAKUYA!!! from Bleach Cool character, but I really, really, REALLY want to take a crow bar to his head some times…)

**Amber-** WHOOOT! YOU STILL ROCK! I changed Heart's mate name because I thought I already did later on in the story, I got so confused with his name and yeah… I changed it to Ruze on a whim because it felt right I guess. But now looking back, Yiodens son is Ruze or Ruse, isn't it? (sigh) oh well, I'll let that one slide. Lol!

**Wolfsbane-** I still love the nickname you picked! (thumbs up) awesome choice! YAY TSUMExHEART FAN! And I'm not even finished with torturing Kiba with Akira just yet! (evil smile) Oh, btw- did you get to see the last edited scene? I fluked on it and added it later on ^_^


	6. Chapter 5 Return to Inocence

_Love - Devotion  
Feeling - Emotion  
Don't be afraid to be weak  
Don't be too proud to be strong  
Just look into your heart my friend  
That will be the return to yourself  
The return to innocence  
If you want, then start to laugh  
If you must, then start to cry  
Be yourself don't hide  
Just believe in destiny  
Don't care what people say  
Just follow your own way  
Don't give up and use the chance  
To return to innocence_

_**Return to Innocence- Enigma**_

Chapter five Return to Innocence

"YEAH!" unlike the other five, Hige didn't hesitate to jump into the cool clear water upon seeing it, "CLEAN WATER THAT DOESN'T TASTE LIKE SHIT! HEAVEN AT LAST!" he shouted as he cannon-balled in and resurfaced, squirting out water through his pursed lips, "You guys gotta try this!" he grinned at the others, raising a hand and beckoning them towards the water, "Come on!"

"Isn't there chlorine in it?" Toboe tilted his head. Living in a dome all his life, the pup has never seen a large body of water without chlorine in it, or even water this clear! He took a step forward, sniffing at the liquid curiously.

"No you nimrod!"Hige splashed Toboe with water, "This isn't some bastardized city water! This is the real thing!"

"Huh?" Toboe shook his head to get the water out of his hair.

Tsume glared dryly at the back of Toboe's head, "Just get in." he lightly shoved Toboe's crouched form into the water, grinning masochistically when the pup yelped in surprise and struggled around before hitting the water.

Toboe sputtered to the surface, coughing and hacking, but his eyes were full of wonder, "Hey! This is different from the city water! I like it!" Toboe grinned happily as he slurped up the water and paddled around as happy as can be.

"Told ya so." Hige smirked as he dunked Toboe unsuspectingly while he and Tsume laughed at Toboe's expanse.

"City kids…" Tsume chuckled.

Heart flanked Akira while the young red head cautiously approached the shore of the clear pond and started trying to wash her arms from the dried blood, "This stuff doesn't like to come off does it?" Akira sighed softly.

Heart ruffled Akira's hair on top her head from behind her, "It'll come off better if you dunk yourself into the water fully and scrub your body. It'll even come out of your hair too." She cringed when she pulled her hand away and it came back flaky with dried blood, "In fact, I insist." Heart said as an afterthought, wiping her hand off on her dark pants.

Akira took off one shoe and tested the waters daintily with her small foot. She jerked it back upon contact and shivered, "It's so cooooold!" she whined.

"Der, it's a fresh water pool in a forest." Hige retorted as he wrestled around with Toboe in the water, "Damn it kid! Not the ears!" Hige complained while trying to hold off a resilient Toboe who was trying to deliver his own version of payback by climbing on Hige while in the water and trying to use his weight to shove the larger wolf under like he had done to him with just an arm.

Akira's big eyes turned back to Heart who held her nose and glared at Akira, "No way, girl. You stink and you're taking a bath!"

Akira visibly paled, "Wh-with everyone around??" she gulped.

That caught the other's attention.

"Oh hell yeah!" Hige nodded enthusiastically, "I can help you scrub your back if you want!" his grin widened into a perverted smirk.

"Get out of the water, Hige." Kiba's authoritive voice cut through Hige's fantasy quickly, "You too Toboe. We'll get something to eat while the girls bathe."

Tsume was already heading out through the forest, intent on finding some game for food. Toboe's wolf form dragged himself out of the water and shook his water-logged fur to dry off before scampering off after Tsume, "Wait up Tsume! I wanna go with you!"

"You don't know how to hunt"

"You can teach me?"

"Hell no."

The two were out of sight through the thick underbrush of the forest, but Hige remained stubbornly. Kiba glared at him, "That means you Hige." He reminded.

"I don't see you leavin, Kiba" Hige huffed as he leaned back to rest his arms on the shore of the pond, getting comfortable.

"I'll be looking around as well, but you're not staying here." Kiba growled slightly to get his point across.

Hige picked at his ear nonchalantly, "I don't see why it's such a big deal if I stay or not. It's not like females should have anything to be ashamed about showing their naked bodies." He snuck a glance at Akira, grinning when the red she-wolfs face was nearly the shade of her hair, 'CUTE!'

Hige yelped when a thick piece of a log slammed into his face, snapping him out of his fantasies again. Enraged, Hige automatically assumed it was Kiba and so retaliated, "KIBA! WHAT THE FUCK!?"

Kiba wasn't looking at him though, his blue eyes were focused warily on Heart who now held a stone in her hand nearly bigger than the hand that held it. She tossed it up and down in her palm threateningly as she cocked her hips to the side.

"Let's get one thing straight." Heart gritted her teeth, "Kiba told you boys to leave so I wouldn't maul you for soiling Akira by staring at her naked body in lust. Got it? Now leave before I decide to ignore his generosity for you." She leveled him with a deadly autumn red glare that had Hige jumping out of the water and scampering off in wolf form.

"I'm going, I'M GOING!" he barked as he shot through the trees.

Heart immediately lost her ferocious look soon as Hige was gone and grinned widely like a kid that just learned a new prank that never failed, "Ha, ha! I love doing that!" she noticed the disturbed look Akira was giving her as the red head leaned away from her warily, "What?"

"You didn't have to make it a death threat to get him going…" Akira replied with reservation.

"That pervert. Listen Akira, here's how you deal with overzealous male libidos: you scare the shit out of them in the beginning and they leave you alone the rest of the way. Got it?"

"I'll…. Let you handle the scary part." Akira relented uneasily with a cautious grin.

Heart turned expectantly to Kiba who met her eyes silently and then walked off to the forest in a different direction then what his friends had taken, "We'll be back shortly, so do what you need to do and be done with it." He said over his shoulder and then was gone.

Heart shook her head, "It's safe now, Akira, I can't sense any of the four of them. You can undress now." She turned away to give Akira some peace of mind, showing her back to the pond while Akira stripped down. Once she was to her underwear, Akira thought for a moment about taking them off too, but decided against it. She just couldn't bring herself to be completely exposed in human form like that.

"Ya good yet?" Heart asked still turned away.

"Umm, y-yeah." Akira replied pathetically, looking at the water like it was going to rear up and eat her with all its chilliness.

Heart turned around, seeing that Akira was standing in her off-white underwear still staring at the water timidly and sighed at Akira's irrational trepidation of the cold water, "Akira, usually people get IN the water to bathe." She said dryly, crossing her arms.

"But…" Akira turned from her to the water, "It… It's cold!" she shivered.

Seeing that this was going nowhere, Heart sauntered up to Akira, "So try and," she bumped Akira in with her hip, grinning as Akira sputtered back to the surface shivering and chattering her teeth together, rubbing her hands over her hands, "Leave caution behind and take the plunge!"

"H-H-H-HEART-T-T-T-T!" Akira shivered.

"Scrub, scrub, scrub!" Heart urged her.

Akira rubbed her palms over her body frantically, trying to get the blood off. Her eyes widened when Heart held her clothes over the water and started dunking them in and scrubbing them, "Wh-What are you doing!?"

"It's useless to wash your body only to put bloody clothes back on." Heart commented as she dunked the clothes down, frowning when not much of the blood came out, "You know, on second thought… Next town we get to, we'll get you some better clothes. Until then, you'll have to deal with these or stay in wolf form the entire time." She noticed Akira was having trouble with getting all of the grime out of her hair, "Here, come over here." She beckoned.

Akira maneuvered herself in front of Heart, putting her back to her and bringing her knees up to her body, resting her chin on them and wrapping her arms around herself, thankful that in this position she was better able to stave off the cold while Heart scratched her long nails in Akira's hair, knocking the grime out.

"There. Feel cleaner?" Heart leaned forward.

"As good as it gets without shampoo." Akira shrugged.

"You bathed with shampoo?" Heart laughed, "What else? Conditioner?"

"Yes, in fact." Akira never realized that wolves didn't bathe with shampoo or conditioner regularly. At Heart's strange look, Akira continued, "Back at Freeze City's Keep, our squad treated their canine division like family. They bathed, fed and treated us very well because we helped them take down criminals." Akira said. Her eyes got a far off look as she stared at her reflection in the water, able to see her wolf reflection shimmer with her human reflection in the water, "Does that…. Does that really make me so much more different then all of you?" Akira looked over her shoulder, "I'm not like the rest of you am I? I'm an alien to your world…"

Heart didn't know what to say after a while. She didn't look Akira in the eye as her red eyes stared out into the clear water while the dawn was getting stronger in the sky with the sun rising behind the ever thick clouds. After a while Heart sighed, "Just because you're a bit more different than the average wolf, doesn't make you such an alien to us. You just grew up differently, that's all. Don't let it get you down so hard." Heart patted her head, "Wait in there for a bit till your clothes dry a bit more. How are you feeling? The water's only lukewarm, so you won't get hypothermia."

"I-I'm getting used to it." Akira admitted with only a slight shiver that she was able to calm. She turned around, crossed her arms on the shore and rests her head on them, letting her back end float in the water at leisure. Though she didn't like water much, she found that this was ok to just rest inside here. While she was relaxing, her long hair dipped into the water at her side, exposing her back where old claw marks still haven't healed and a new slash from her run in with Mose cut across her shoulder blades. Hearts eyes spied them in surprise.

"Akira… your scars…" this was not the first time Heart had seen Akira exposed this much, but she'd never seen the back of Akira since Akira's hair was so long it covered it.

"Hmm?" Akira glanced over her shoulder and slowly sunk into the water, "Yeah… I scar much more easily than most." She said shyly, burying her face into her arms, "Jasper's been through more than I have and he doesn't have a scratch on his human body, but my human body seems to keep a few scars." Akira gritted her teeth, "Just makes me more different, eh?"

"There's nothing wrong with being different." Heart didn't miss a beat to defend her, 'Trust me. There's nothing wrong with that.' Heart thought inwardly as she looked away, "You saw Zali, right? He's got a scar, so who cares? You need to stop blaming yourself for these things."

"But I-," Akira rose out of the water as she protested, but she stopped when her eyes collided with Heart's gaze. The look in her red eyes stopping Akira dead in her tracks as the emotion was so deep and complex it didn't have a name for the feeling.

"Just leave it at that Akira and stop over thinking things. You'll get stressed more and die quicker." Heart approached the shore where Akira was and squatted down in front of her, "Didn't you promise Shura you'd get to paradise?"

Akira's eyes widened as a slow smile tugged her lips. She had to turn away from Heart's eyes before she started to cry again, but the tears were already coming to her eyes, "Thank you Heart. I can always count on you to tell me exactly what I need to hear." She thanked gratefully as she sunk back into the water.

Heart's usual confidant grin was back, "No probl-," her eyes snapped towards the forest as she gritted her teeth, "Be back shortly, they said." She mocked with a sigh of aggravation, "They weren't kidding." She turned her eyes back to Akira without leaving the forest out of her sights, "Stay low in the water."

"Heart??" Akira lowered to her chin in the water, "What's going on??"

"Hige." Heart rolled her eyes as she stood up, hand resting on the hilt of her gun as she approached the forest, "Damn perverts." She cursed.

"H-Heart!" Akira suddenly felt very vulnerable without Heart there to watch over her from outside of the water. What if someone saw her like this??

"I'll be back, Imma cut him off his path." Heart called over her shoulder as she disappeared in the trees, "Sneaky bastard…" that was the last Akira heard of Heart.

It must have only passed a few minute, but to Akira it was more like a few hours. She heard a bull frog croak suddenly in the silence and jumped, "YEEK!" she squeaked, but when she came face to face with the offending creature that seemed to mock her as he sat tall and proud on his log, she gave him a dry look, "Meany." She muttered and jerked her face away from him, crossing her arms under her breasts. She was no longer cold, given that her body had gotten used to the temperature of the water, but the cool morning air was chilly, so she kept herself submerged in the water mostly to her chin, "I can't believe I let a BULL FROG scare me," she grumbled, "I really am pathetic for a wolf. Whoever heard of a wolf afraid of frogs?" she shot the bull frog in question a glare as it hopped off, "That's right buddy!" she stood up in the water, ignoring the cool air that hit her instantly as she threw her fist in the frogs general direction, "YOU BETTER HOP AWAY!"

There was a rustle in the tall grass on the further side of the pond catching Akira's attention, but this time she was ready for it, "Oh no you don't you stupid frog! Not this time!" she growled, turning to fully face the offending 'frog', "Show yourself!" she demanded, but when there was no response, Akira got annoyed. Dipping low in the pond, she groped around blindly on the floor of the body of water until she found a stone in her grasp. Grinning, she pulled it back out and cocked her arm back ready for the throw, "You asked for it, coward!" she thrust her arm forward and released the rock, "Take THAT!" she snarled as the rock flew and bonked into tall grass. There was a yelp of surprise that confused Akira. Didn't frogs croak??

Nothing could prepare her for what launched out of the tall grass, sharp teeth blazing and thick fur bristling. Its ferocious cry was enough to make Akira's ears go near death with fright.

"KYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" she screamed in retaliation and struggled out of the water.

"WHAT?! WHAT IS IT?" Kiba burst through the forest and was at her side in an instant, an arm around her shoulders in instinctive protection while the other hand held a quail bird in his grasp- his catch for breakfast, "AKIRA! WHAT'S-," he stopped abruptly and he took a step back from her to get a better look when he noticed Akira's state of dress…. Er lack thereof, "Akira… what are you wearing?" though he stepped away, he still had a hold of her. His sudden need for confronting whatever had scared her was the last thing on his mind as he took in her exposed flesh- even for wolves who had a different form, both human and wolf form were enough to stimulate… feelings.

Akira looked like she was about to die as her face went red and she tore away from her, raising her fist high in the air, "KYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAHHH!" and Kiba's world went dark.

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"Damn, Kiba!" Hige laughed after Kiba had regained consciousness a short while later, "You are my new HERO!"

"Shut up, Hige." Kiba glared at him, but then turned his eyes to Akira. She was dressed again, and cleaner without so much blood on her, but the blood still stained her clothes something terrible. Her face was almost a permanent shade of red now and she refused to meet his eyes, each time nervously looking away.

"That's what you get for spying on girls." Toboe admonished, digging into the pheasant he and Tsume had brought back for breakfast, "I'd always heard that it wasn't nice for boys to watch girls bathe."

"You're such a pup." Tsume rolled his eyes as he stole the meat right out from under Toboe's nose before the pup could even bite into it, "It's okay if it's a pretty girl." He shrugged and was about to chow down, regardless of Toboe's attempts to get back the food he was about to eat and the pathetic whimpers from the pup… but he suddenly felt an ominous chill run up his spine, "Oh shit." He hesitated taking a bite as he looked over his shoulder at Heart whose eyes promised the ultimate death.

"What…. Was…. That?" she dared him to say the wrong answer.

Tsume only half-heartedly recognized the threat. Very unwise in his position, "Sure, if the bitch is hot, I can't fault a guy of any species for wanting to see her in all her glory, but if she doesn't have much to offer, then that's just sad." He tore off a piece of meat from the bones of the pheasant and started to eat his fill, tossing Toboe a smaller piece of the kill, "Come on! She was frightened by a fuckin BEAVER! What kind of wolf is afraid of a beaver??" he chuckled. He hadn't meant anything by it, but Akira wasn't in any mind to take jokes as she should have.

Akira stiffened next to Heart. While the four boys gathered around in a make-shift circle to eat, Heart and Akira sat off to the side with Akira turned away and Heart sitting sideways, facing Akira to keep the boys in her line of sight, "Heart?" Akira whispered, "Does that mean I have nothing to offer?"

That did it for Heart. She was already trying to get Akira to get out of her shell, but here that bastard Tsume wasn't helping anything by teasing Akira when Akira didn't take it the right way. She was going to KEEEEL him.

"That does it." Heart stood up.

The other three guys became alert when Heart stalked up to Tsume who was ignoring her at the moment. Toboe backed away wisely, giving the female all the room she needed, letting loose a small whimper that caught Tsume's attention.

"What now, Toboe? Don't tell me to take you to the bathroom, because hell, you're more than old enough to figure that stuff out on your own kid." He nonchalantly bit into the bird leg he had been consuming, only to find it gone, "Huh?" he looked behind him where Heart held the leg while her hands were on her hips, "Heart, what gives?" he growled.

"You really are a low life bastard, you know that?" Heart accused, tossing the leg over her shoulder into the forest.

"HEY! That was BREAKFAST!" Tsume stood growling. His eyes widened as he leaned back just in time to miss Heart's round house kick that had been aimed at his head, "HEART! WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM NOW YOU PMS-ING BITCH!" he caught hold of her well aimed fist, but didn't catch the second one as it belted him in the abdomen, coming close to knocking all the wind out of him. As it stood, she still left him panting.

"YOU'RE THE PROBLEM YOU POOR EXCUSE OF A MAN!"

"I'M NOT A MAN, I'M A WOLF!"

"POOR EXCUSE OF A DOG!"

"TAKE THAT SHIT BACK!"

The others watched mildly while Heart threw blows at Tsume while Tsume blocked almost at the last minute, trying to figure out why she was so angry with him. They had a feeling this would become a common occurrence between the two hot blooded wolves.

"Are they even fighting over anything anymore? Why'd they start this time?" Toboe leaned toward Hige.

Hige shrugged as he swallowed a large chunk of hare that he'd caught, "Who knows." He turned back to his food, "I'm just glad she's not pissed at me since it wasn't me that walked in on Akira."

"Yeah, but she punched Kiba, right?" Toboe and Hige looked to Kiba. There wasn't even any evidence on his face that Akira had punched him hard enough to knock Kiba out. They were all surprised to see him just barely conscious when they arrived, but chalked it up as having taken Kiba off guard.

"Keh, heh," Hige chuckled and nudged Toboe, "Gotta admit its fuckin hilarious though."

Toboe couldn't help but grin in response, but quickly dashed it when he caught Kiba's hard look.

"SAY THAT AGAIN?!" Tsume dared Heart as they were now butting forehead to forehead.

"I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE HEARD ME THE FIRST TIME, OVER GROWN SEWER RAT! WHAT ARE YOU GOING DEAF NOW, OLD MAN?!"

Kiba rolled his eyes. This was going to be a while. His gaze darted over to Akira who watched the petty fight with an amused smile on her face. She was still hunched up and he knew her clothes were still damp. Though she tried to hide it, he could also tell she was fighting off a shiver and she hadn't eaten yet. With a sigh, Kiba stood up.

"Kiba?" Toboe questioned as he silently walked pass them. Toboe nudged Hige as he watched Kiba ignore them and approach Akira, "Hey, Hige, what's wrong with Kiba? He's acting weird around Akira."

"Ach-ching uut?" Hige muffled though his mouth full of the last of his meat, "Oh," he swallowed, looking over to Akira and Kiba briefly, "Dunno, don't care." He shrugged, eyeing the last of Toboe's breakfast hungrily as he licked his lips, "You gunna eat that?"

Toboe leaned away from Hige disturbed by the hungry look, "Uh… no." he scooted the food over to Hige.

"GREAT!" Hige happily (noisily) chowed down the rest of Toboe's Pheasant too while Toboe sighed.

"Good grief."

Akira tried to hold down another shiver, but the tickle down her back was too insisting. She felt the hair on her body stand on end as her whole body gave one great shake, imitating a puffed up bird almost before she settled down. A heavy coat was draped over her shoulders with a sudden PLOP that it startled Akira, "EH?!" she tugged on the coat, catching the strong scent of Kiba all over it, "Kiba?" she looked up to find Kiba just now bending down to sit next to her with only his white T-shirt and jeans. Without his dark leather pilot's jacket on, it brought out his ivory skin even more so than usual and Akira couldn't help but stare for a moment. Her whole family, back at the dome, were never that pale. Jasper was the lightest skin color, but he was still a pale peach color only a few shades lighter than Akira herself.

"Here." Kiba brought her out of her trance when he offered her what was leftover from his plump quail breakfast, "You need to eat to keep up your strength on a journey. We can't be certain when our next meal is."

Akira looked at the quail curiously. There seemed to be a good sum of it left but… how does she eat it? 

"Uh… Kiba?" she asked as she took the quail into her hands and looked it over like a puzzle.

"Hm?"

"How… How do you eat this thing? It's still has feathers on it. Where's the fire to cook it?"

Kiba froze, "Fire?"

"You know, to cook it with..?" it was an innocent question, and upon looking at her face, Kiba realized that she wasn't kidding, but it didn't make it any less hilarious to him.

He could only hold face for a few small moments more before he burst out laughing, catching everyone off guard, "C-COOK IT?!" he chuckled, still laughing hard enough to grasp his stomach.

It was so bizarre to see Kiba laughing that Hige choked on his food and Heart and Tsume stopped fighting. Heart panted, confused why Tsume stopped yelling.

"What's wrong?" she panted for breath, "This isn't over!"

"Kiba's…. laughing." Tsume said in disbelief.

"Yeah? So?" Heart huffed as she put her hands on her hips and rotated her back so she could look better over her shoulder at Kiba who was grasping Akira's shoulder with one hand and clutching his stomach with the other one, laughing as if he someone told him the funniest joke of the century while Akira looked beyond confused with a slight blush as her eyes darted from the others back to Kiba as if he were possessed.

"Kiba NEVER laughs. At least not like this!" Hige gasped out soon as he was able to swallow down the lodged food in his throat.

"What the hell set you off Kiba?" Tsume demanded.

"C-COOKED M-MEAT!" Kiba gasped for breath as he started to calm down.

"That's it, following the flower scent and having such a strong source of it like Akira so near has finally gone to his head." Hige huffed dryly.

"I-I just asked how I'm supposed to eat this thing with feathers still on it and uncooked! What's wrong with him?" Akira desperately looked to the others who all seemed to get what was going on now.

"Oh-h-h-h." Hige chuckled, trying to hold in his own laughter while the others snickered, "Well, that explains a lot!"

"What's wrong with you guys?" Akira stood, "Come on! I don't get it- what'd I say!"

"Akira," Heart held her hand over her mouth to try and stop her giggles, wanting to help her desperate friend, but it was too funny, "Akira, look- wolves eat things raw when they catch their prey. No cooking involved."

Akira's eyes widened, "You mean I'm supposed to…" she held the bird away from her, "But… how?? With the feathers??"

"Here, like this." Kiba took the bird from her and bit into it, making Akira pale in the face, "Chew and swallow." He said then handed the bird back, looking at her as if it were her turn now that she knew how to eat it.

Akira turned desperate eyes on Heart who shrugged, "Starvation or eat a raw bird."

Akira toughened up at that. She didn't not relish the idea of starvation. That was how the humans at the dome punished 'bad guard dogs'. The dog would starve until they were nearly dead. Looking back at the bird, she steeled up her nerves, pinched her eyes shut and bit into the bird, ripping off a piece of flesh with feathers still attached and tried to chew around them.

The others watched with dry humor as Akira chewed and eventually swallowed, "Well?" Toboe prodded.

"It's… not as disgusting as I thought…" Akira admitted. She was surprised her gag reflex didn't kick in.

"Well, you're a wolf. You're supposed to have a taste for this kind of thing." Hige offered, "I bet it'll get easier on you the more you eat it."

Akira's eyes widened as she swallowed in disappointment, but ate the bird anyways while the others waited on her. Heart noticed Akira was wearing Kiba's jacket and frowned, "Next town we come to, we need to get Akira better clothing for this form. She looks like a poverty stricken human."

"That's an understatement." Hige grumbled.

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The group headed out about mid morning and had been traveling through the cloudy forest till near noon time now. Akira was amazed at the landscape around her! The air was much cleaner here than in the dome and it didn't have that strange stale-taste to it. It was crisp and clear with a spike of pine and redwood in it. She couldn't get enough of it! The pine trees towered over them in close-knit army, watching solemnly as the wolves passed by between their thick roots below. The dirt beneath her feet had many pine needles in them with stray patches of thick green grass and small shrubberies here and there where the pine trees would allow them to grow. The wind gently howled as it escaped the thick army of trees below and above the thick branches, letting a pleasing breeze catch the wolves' legs. Akira still had Kiba's jacket around her shoulders and was thankful for it as she clutched the folds of the jacket closer to her, glancing at the back of its owner with appreciation in her eyes. She knew she was a dimwit for a wolf. Too domesticated all her life to survive out here on her own, but this pack seemed to catch her when she stumbled along- especially Kiba and Heart. Toboe tried, but he was still new at this whole wilderness thing too. His only saving grace was that he lived as a stray in the city, so he had some survival skills that were still useful here in the forest, even if he was just as awed by the scenery as Akira was. So much so, that he was falling behind, letting his curious nature get the best of him.

Heart glanced over her shoulder to check on the three that traveled behind her. She was in the middle of the six, with Tsume and Kiba in front of her and Hige, Akira and Toboe following behind her. She mentally counted off the heads behind her like an elementary teacher would do naturally to keep her kids together, but noticed one missing.

"Toboe's fallen behind again." She remarked as she stopped walking to search a sign of the pup down the path.

Hige turned as well, expecting to see the pup at Akira's side like usual, but found the spot vacant of one naïve pup. He also stopped alerting Kiba to also stop and in a chain reaction, Tsume also stopped after a few more steps ahead of Kiba.

"Gone again?" Tsume sighed heavily.

"HEEEY!" Hige cupped his hands to his mouth to project his voice, "RUNT! KEEP UP OR YOU'LL GET LEFT BEHIND! COME OUT!"

Soon as Tsume heard someone crashing through the forest in a hurry, he assumed it was Toboe and started walking again, "At least he has a natural knack for finding the group." He shrugged.

Panting, Toboe stumbled through the undertow of the forest and back to the path, catching up to Akira's waiting side. She waited a few moments so he could catch his breath before walking on ahead so they wouldn't fall behind the others who had already gained some distance away from them, "Come on, Toboe. You know Tsume's threat is a good one."

"Y-Yeah." Toboe nodded, but his eyes were darting all around him in the forest, as if he were looking for something. Once the twosome were caught up with the others, Heart held back so she could follow Akira and Toboe, intent on keeping them caught up with the group.

"Keep up you two." Heart urged.

"Yes, Heart." Toboe and Akira replied in unison, but Toboe was still looking around. He seemed like he was trying to be more discrete about it now.

"Toboe, what's wrong?" Akira was surprised that Toboe seemed startled that she noticed his anxious glances.

"It's… well, I dunno." Toboe admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, looking up at the trees almost disappointed, "I've always heard that forests were bursting with life, and this one was when we hunted for our food with birds and animals, and I could smell the small scent of the Flower Kiba said that we're following, but now…" he turned his head to look at Akira, "Now I don't hear or see any animals and the flower scent is gone…" He blushed as he realized for a moment, "Oh, except your scent, Akira." He looked down at the ground shyly. Ever since she had bathed, Toboe found himself wanting to sniff her scent of Lunar Flower and Wolf musk since it was now cleaned of blood, well mostly. The blood scent was still there and noticeable, but it paled compared to Akiras natural scent.

Hige huffed in front of them, "Well, what'd you expect, runt? You're a wolf, remember? And we already hunted this forest once." The older male rolled his eyes at Toboe's idioticy, "They've found out that there's wolves in the forest now and probably turned tail to run for their hiding places until we leave."

"Oh…" Toboe eyes widened in realization, "Wow, I never thought of that."

Hige heaved a heavy breath, slouching his shoulders as he released it in a whoosh while bringing a hand up to run through his fluffy hair and drag it out of his eyes, "And this is why city kids should never venture into the wilderness."

"Oh, like you were any better at this kind of thing when you were his age, Hige." Heart grinned mischievously from behind Toboe and Akira while Hige glared at her through the corner of his eye over his shoulder, "I seriously doubt you were Mr. wilderness-scout right off the bat."

Hige grunted something less than proper under his breath about cocky females before he hastily changed subjects, noticing that Heart seemed to have caught the jist of what he just said, "Well, for one thing, the kid is right about something." He jerked his head towards Akira, "Other than her, I haven't caught a whiff of the flower since this morning at breakfast."

"Care to enlighten us?" Tsume shot a look at Kiba at his side, "Do you still know where the hell we're going?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Kiba shot back without looking to Tsume or rising to his bait. His blue eyes were focused on the path straight ahead as if he saw some invisible pathway that was showing him the way, "Paradise."

Tsume gritted his teeth and rumbled low in his throat with frustration, "Yes, we know that. And just what are we going by to get there? You can't tell me you've been there and just decided to come back to show us the way."

"No, you're right. I haven't ever been there in my life." Kiba admitted in his usual stoic, bland way, "To tell the truth, I don't even know what Paradise looks like."

"Then what's telling you to go in this direction?" Akira asked, trotting a little closer pass Hige to get in on the conversation. Toboe was at her side like Velcro the entire way.

"I go where my instincts tell me where to go." Kiba replied as if he were telling a child a simple lesson.

"Instincts?" Akira cocked her head to the side, not catching the stutter in everyone's step other than hers and Kibas while she followed him at his left flank, "How do they tell you that?"

"It's just a feeling. I go where it feels right to go."

"That's strange." Akira admitted, but kept walking dutifully at his tail, "its must be cool to have instincts that tell you where to go all the time!"

Toboe, Tsume, Heart and Hige all stood still for a moment while the red head woman and brunette man kept walking further along the path. All shocked and filled with dread as the reality of just what was driving this trip really was- instincts.

"I knew Instincts were strong and good to rely on as a wolf but…" Toboe turned to the older wolves behind him to see what they had to say, "Can they really… really guide you on a journey like this?"

"Instincts are great and all, but when one chooses to base a journey off them…" Heart started.

"It tends to end in hell." Tsume groaned as he palmed his face.

"AKIRA!" Kiba shouted in surprise when the young woman collapsed, "Akira, what's wrong?!" he knelt down and tried to touch her but she shoved away.

"It hurts…" she whined.

"What? What hurts?!" Heart dashed over with the rest of the boys behind her, "Kiba, what's wrong with Akira?!" she demanded, shoving him out of the way and also trying to reach for Akira, but she got the same reaction, "Akira?"

"She's in pain!" Toboe gasped with a whimper.

"No shit Sherlock." Hige gritted his teeth, "But why is she-,"

All five of the rest of them yelped in pain when a horrendous high pitched sound shot down their ear drums and clawed inside their head until they were nearly kneeling in agony. A shadow loomed over head of them as the wind picked up, swirling dust in their eyes and pine needles flying about dangerously around them. Hige hissed when one pine needle pricked him.

"Shit!" he snapped, batting the needle away.

Tsume glared up into the sky as he fought not to cover his ears like the rest of them, trying to best the noise on some level by showing that he could withstand it, "What the fuck are they doing here…" he growled.

"Air ships!" Hige also looked up, covering his ears while he watched as the humongous man-made flying machine steadily passed above them. It seemed to be slowing down from its continuous speed, setting just above them while the noise settled to an annoying hum and not so much the head-splitting screech. One by one, they slowly let go of their ears, and Akira's pain stopped as she gasped and tried to push herself up. Kiba started to help her but she didn't let him, shaking her head no.

"I'm fine," she insisted.

Heart growled lowly in annoyance, "Keh, probably some damned stuck up noble out on a pleasure ride." She curled her lip in distaste.

"Noble?" Akira caught her breath while she pushed herself up to stand by Kiba, joining the others to look up in the sky, "I remember them. Those people who run the cities and other humans, right?"

"That's them" Hige nodded, "Their ships have so much power running through them that they make this weird sound when they're activated, but it doesn't bother them since they're all human and cant hear it."

"Argh, I hate that noise," Toboe gave his own glare up at the sky where they knew it was coming from. He was thankful that the painful noise of motion was gone, but the annoying hum wasn't much different other than lacking pain.

Akira started picking at her ears and shaking her head at get her ears from tickling, "I've always hated it when an airship passed over head in the dome! It's almost as bad as the soldiers singing in the showers!" she complained.

"Do we even want to know how you came to find that out?" Tsume snorted.

"I sure don't." Heart dead panned.

Akira bristled nervously and she laughed embarrassed and scratched the back of her neck, "Well…. You- you see…,"

"Look! Another one!" Toboe shouted pointing to the sky.

Another, smaller air ship was now visible as it darted in and out of the clouds to avoid red laser weapons attacking it from the first ship that was nearly two-times its size! The ground rumbled as the missed lasers shot through the ground instead and carved great craters and trenches into the earth. The wolves braced themselves as the ground beneath them trembled in response, almost having to grab a hold of something to keep stead, but Akira felt something different. Her whole being pulsed with this new awareness as the world around her started to fade and her eye sight stained red. She could only hear the beating of her own heart for a while, but then, another pulse answered hers. It called out to her, searching around as if seeking a connection with her.

She was reaching out for it before she knew what was happening, upon touching it, her eyes widened at the sudden burst of sensations that wrapped around her and held tightly while it seemed to yank her spirit towards it. Though it pulled insistently, it was comforting. It beckoned her to come back to it like an old friend's presence would after a long absence. She could almost hear a voice calling her name softly. Closing her eyes as she braced against another attack impact on the quivering ground beneath her, starting to pull her back to reality, but then Akira saw someone familiar hanging suspended in that liquid filled globe behind her closed eyes. The pure scent of flowers invaded to her nostrils, over flowing her lungs as they released a huge breath and she snapped her eyes open, unable to contain her excitement that bubbled inside her stomach.

"IT'S HER!" her shout was barely heard in the midst of the battle of airships above as the war ship hounded the smaller aircraft.

"What?!" Heart called for verification.

Akira only briefly turned to face Heart, her joyously warm orange eyes shocked Heart to no end that she seemed so happy when she should have been hiding in terror of being caught in brutal crossfire, "Cheza!" Akira exclaimed, "Cheza's here! She's here!" in an instant, she turned tail, shifting into her wolf form in record time as she dashed off into the forest towards the growing battle, leaving the safety of the others.

"WAIT!" Kiba called after her startled.

Panic gripped its poisonous claws around Heart's insides as she stared dumbly after the disappearing red wolf, "A-AKIRA!" she called out, moving to follow, but Hige snatched her arm and pushed her to the ground while another laser attack blasted the earth closer than before. The earth roared under them, knocking any that were on their feet to the ground. Heart shoved him off, looking for Akira, but saw nothing but lasers tracing and blazing across the sky, "AKIIIRRAAAAAAH!" she cried out.

"HOLY HELL!! What's gotten into her! She'll be running straight for her own death if she goes that way!" Hige gasped, letting go of Heart.

"What's going on? Why did she runaway from us??" Toboe wanted to run after her too, but he was grounded in place by the fear of the unknown and the air ships that shifted and darted around above. His instincts refused to let him move away from the others, but Akira's instincts weren't as honed as the others! She was blindly bolting around a battle field!

"She's a crazy wench that's why. She'll be doing us a favor by going into something for suicide." Tsume snorted.

"You're such a Moronic Bastard!" Heart snapped hysterically at him, lashing out quicker than a viper's strike to the first opportunity to shove some of her worry into anger.

"Yeah, well you're a Fucking Bitch. So we're even"

"Why YOU-,"

Kiba took off after Akira soon as the tremors in the earth settled enough that he wouldn't stumble on his feet. His wolf form sprang forward through his pack and then ignored them as he pursued Akira's path in the forest.

"Kiba!" Tsume shouted as he followed suit. Heart was at his side.

"Now THEM too?" Hige groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead, "Argh! What is wrong with you people! Come on runt," Hige motioned for Toboe to follow as the last of the wolves scurried after the rest of them. He and Toboe had only just caught up with Heart and Tsume's tail when the sharp scent hit him. It came on so quick that it stunned him enough to make him stumble in his stride, catching Toboe's attention, "Wait a minute- that scent!"

"What ? What is it?"

"It's her! Cheza! Akira was right, she's really here,"

Something caught their eye. A flash of movement spiraling in the sky above them. All four wolves looked up simultaneously. Each were wide eyed with wonder as they spied a light colored maiden spiraling down to earth as if she were dancing in the sky, though she was really falling from an air ship. Her arms were stretched out wide and a smile was visible on her face even from this far a distance while the broken metallic chains attached to the shackles about her neck, wrists and ankles shinned brightly when the sun behind the clouds caught them in its small feeble beams.

Akira felt the awareness trickle in the back of her mind again as Cheza's soft voice sought her out, '_Akira......Akira?' the maiden tested._

"I hear you, Cheza!" Akira shouted out loud as she pushed herself faster, surprising Kiba with her speed, "Just hang on a little longer and we'll be right there! I brought others this time!"

Cheza giggled in Akira's mind, making the black tipped red ears of the red wolf twitch, '_This one is so happy to hear of you again, Akira_.' She seemed to chirp with happiness, '_This one is also so happy that Akira has met him!'_

'Him..?' Akira's brow furrowed while her ears pinned back in thought.

The small she-wolf cleared the trees only to stop suddenly, sliding in the dry dirt ground when a wall of rock stood in her way. Looking up at the near vertical cliff, her ears pinned back as she felt the bottom of her stomach pit fall at the prospect of climbing such a cliff, but… Cheza was up there, and it was the quickest way to her! She didn't feel she had time to maneuver a different path, and even though the thought of braving it sent her heart pounding with fear, she strengthened her resolve to plow through it. She bent down low to get ready, growling low to try and prep herself for what she was about to do even though her common sense was screaming its warning signs.

She sprang upward just as Kiba appeared though the trees, "Akira!" he called in surprise when her small body collided with the rock of the cliff-face. Her small claws dug into the rock as she instinctively tried to mold her body into the rock at her belly, haphazardly struggling to move upwards.

A flash of white fur passed by her, followed by the heavy impact of a larger body further up the cliff side forced Akira to bow her head to avoid the rocky debris that he unearthed. She felt a pang of failure strike her with how at ease Kiba seemed about climbing up the cliff, shouting down to her to follow his lead, but she also realized that she'd never done this before and considered herself lucky that she didn't completely slide off the cliff when she hopped up on it.

However, her little thought of saving grace fell down to the dumps soon as the other four wolves started climbing the cliff with as much ease as Kiba. Even Toboe seemed well adapted to this sort of thing and didn't have to put up as much a fight as Akira did just to move a few feet upwards. She was barely able to keep up with the tip of Toboe's tail!

Toboe whined worriedly as he looked back to check on her and saw her claws scrapping and struggling for a good hold on the rock, "Akira..?" he started holding back, wanting to wait for her and help her somehow, but Akira barked her protest sharply.

"Don't stop, Toboe!" she noticed the others were also looking back at her worried as well, "Don't stop!" she barked again with more force as she steadied herself, "I'm fine, just get to Cheza as fast as you can! I can do this!"

Heart gave her a 'Yeah-Right' look, "Says the runt of a wolf that is struggling to stay on a nearly vertically standing cliff while trying to get to the peak." She sighed sarcastically, but her red eyes were instilled with worry.

Akira growled at the barbing comment, "Get GOING!" she shouted, "I'll get there soon enough so quit worrying about me!"

No sooner than the words left her mouth, as she stretched her small lithe body to take another longer strided step, her hide leg slipped from the grid she'd found in the cliff side, losing all her weight to the mid air and cascading her to a freefall while her claws lashed out to grab a hold of the rock again, but only ended up shoving her away. She was helpless to stop herself while her body plummeted back first down the long drop of the cliff she had been able to climb up.

"AKIRAAAH!!!" Heart cried out, about to push away from her spot on the cliff and dive bomb after her, but Tsume slammed her in place with his own body to prevent her from moving soon as he realized what she was about to do, "LET ME GO YOU BASTARD! SHE'LL DIE!"

"THEN IT'S USELESS TO RISK YOUR OWN LIFE FOR THE DEAD!" he shouted back while struggling to keep her in place while she bucked against him. If he didn't calm her down quick, she would shove him off her back and down the cliff side after Akira!

Both of them ducked their heads to avoid the sudden blur of white that streaked just by them, running head first DOWN the side of the steep cliff face. The white wolf's golden eyes were locked on Akira as she seemed to fall in slow motion to him while he strove to catch her.

"KIBA, NO!" Toboe shouted in fear, but clutched the rock closer when he felt himself nearly slip as well, "GWAH!" he yelped.

"THAT IDIOT'S GOING TO KILL HIMSELF TRYING TO SAVE HER LIKE THIS!" Hige's eyes widened in terror as he shouted after Kiba.

Akira's vision started to blur and her awareness of the world around her faded. This was it? This was how she was going to die?? With Cheza so close; just up that cliff and she'd see her once again! Part of her, the side that wanted to live, struggled to force her body to move, to scream, to do SOMETHING! But her body was like a falling stone, it refused to do anything but fall.

'_One day, Akira, we're all going to be in paradise' _… 'Papa..?' Akira saw her father's scruffy handsome smile behind her eyes just as she remembered him when she was a child.

'_Stop blaming yourself for things that have nothing to do with you! You're giving up before you live, Akira!'_ Jasper! His green eyes were teasing her, but he held a seriousness behind them.

These were memories. Memories of her father and brothers voice before she died. Her body gave up its tension as she started to resign to her fate- what could she do against falling down a cliff. She wasn't strong enough to live. Akira closed her eyes, 'Now must be my time…'

'_Akira… you will not die!' _Shura's voice snapped at her, '_The others still need you now! You will not refuse your promise to me!'_

'I never forgot my promise!' she thought back.

'_If you die, that's just the same! Go to paradise!'_

"Akira!!"

Akira's eyes snapped open wildly. Overwhelming fear gripped her as her senses went from dulled to over sensitized in the blink of an eye, overwhelming her and pumping her heartbeat faster and faster. Her orange eyes locked on to Kiba's golden wolf ones split seconds before his body connected with hers. Her world spun as he twisted and turned their bodies in the air, suddenly slamming her against the rock, his teeth holding tightly to the scruff of her neck while his claws dug into the rock, sliding them to a stop and forcing his body against hers until they were both flat against the mountain. Akira gasped out in pain with a small cry while the sharp edges of the cliff bit into her side that was slammed and skidded down the rock, she could feel hot blood and the sting of friction burns on her assaulted side, but she didn't fear for her life as she had when she was free falling. Soon as Kiba caught her, the overwhelming sense of fear slowly left her, leaving her to catch her breath.

"You alright?" Kiba panted with the scruff of her neck still in his jaws like a pup. Once he got a good hold of the mountain, he shifted her to better hold her, making her yelp in pain again. His white ears fell slightly in an apology for the pain, but he had to get them safely up this cliff!

"F-fine!" Akira shivered as the adrenaline. Her eyes were clenched shut as she panted for air and gritted her teeth.

"I'm sorry about the pain, but we have to move now." Kiba apologized as he lifted his body only slightly away from her and started dragging her up the mountain like a leopard that carried his prey up the tree, except Kiba was quicker than a leopard. The other wolves were surprised that Kiba was able to hold his own with Akira dragging under him and managed to out climb them all easily enough.

"Once a country boy, always a country boy." Tsume shook his head and let Heart climb on her own. The black she-wolf struggled to keep on par with Kiba, wanting to get to the top quickly to check Akira over herself.

Akira for her part stayed absolutely still, fearful that if she moved, she would disturb Kiba while he was climbing for the both of them. His body was a just about twice her size, and he didn't seem like her added weight hindered him, but she knew that if she wiggled too much he might lose his hold on her or worse, lose his footing.

Once Kiba breached the top of the cliff, he heaved her up and over it first before letting her go and then pulled himself up, panting harshly with his sides rising and falling in quick motions as his lungs struggled for breath. Akira stood up on her own four legs, but found tenderness in her hind leg on the side that was slammed to the wall of the cliff. She raised it up a bit off the ground, but her eyes were focused on Kiba. He lay on his side, catching his breath, nearly worn out from the crisis he just saved her from. Akira pinned her ears back guiltily as she hobbled up to him.

"Kiba… are you alright?" she lowered her head closer to his to butt her muzzle against his cheek and get his attention.

On golden eye spied her tiredly, "I'm supposed to… ask _you_ that." He pant with a small smile.

Akira gritted her teeth as a wave of anger shot through her, "Do you realize what you nearly did?! You followed a falling person DOWN A CLIFF! You nearly killed yourself! Why would you do that?!" she barked at him, pulling away from his face and not understanding the fluttery feeling in her stomach. It made her nervous and on edge, and it wasn't because she nearly died. She had almost accepted her death and then HE just HAD to save her and make her worry again. Now it was ten times worse! He put himself in danger for her sorry butt and it made her feel guilty, angry, confused, terrified!

When Kiba said nothing in response, Akira bowed her head, looking away so he couldn't read her eyes like she knew most could easily do, "Don't you know how much the others rely on you? Aren't you leading them to Cheza? You must be important to her as well, right- why would you leave Cheza like that?!" she demanded, huffing in exertion.

Kiba let her calm down for a few moments as she refused to look at him. He then stood up on his own four paws as well, reminding her just how much bigger he was than her, but she was oddly not afraid like she usually was. Larger wolves always made her nervous when they stood this close to her as he obviously made a point to invade her space, but with Kiba she felt something that was polar opposite to fear.

"First of all, I don't make promises I don't intend to keep." He told her as he practically loomed over her, "I promised Zali no harm would come of you or Heart- I think falling off a cliff qualifies as harm." By now the others had just started pulling themselves over the crest of the cliff, helping one another, but pausing in uncertainty at the sudden tense air between Akira and Kiba.

Soon as Tsume pulled Heart up, the black wolf spied Akira standing her ground against Kiba and immediately started to go to her, "Aki-," Tsume blocked her path and shook his head. She bared her teeth, and tried again, but this time, she was stopped by Toboe who pleaded with her to stay for just a moment. The pup instinctively felt that this was something Kiba and Akira needed to get across to each other, as did the rest of them, but Heart still wanted to comfort her.

"So you saved me for the sake of your honor?" Akira pinned her ears in distaste, "Honor like that is useless if it gets you killed in the process! Do you think I like the thought that you could have died saving me and leaving Cheza alone? I felt her tie to you! She needs you to help her get to paradise just as much as we need her!"

"And what about you?" Akira seemed taken aback when he said that.

"What abo-about me?" she seemed to lose her nerve as she took a small step back, wincing when she accidentally put pressure on her bad leg, but Kiba caught it.

"I didn't just save you because of a promise to Zali. I saved you because you're someone important too." He had no idea how much those words affected her. Her heart did flip flops, stuttering and fluttering. Stopping and speeding at the same time. Seeing that he got through to her, Kiba turned to his human form, a brief small smile on his lips, "We will all go to paradise, so none of us are allowed to die until then, got it?"

Akira nodded, still in her wolf form and still caught up in his eyes. She yelped and squirmed when he bent down to scoop her up into his arms bridal style. Switching to human form, Akira couldn't help the moan of the change as it sent a sharp pain to her ankle and a strange heating sensation where ever Kiba touched her.

"What are you doing!?" she demanded squirming to get down.

"You're not walking on that leg and your side was damaged from climbing when I saved you. For that, I'm sorry. Now hold still."

"But I-," he shot her a look of annoyance that was meant to shut her up, but instead, Akira felt her ire rise to the challenge, "Look! It's not BROKEN! So I sure as hell can walk on it!"

"Is that so?" He nonchalantly replied, but made no move to put her down as he kept walking, leaving a baffled group of wolves behind.

"JERK! I SAID PUT ME DOWN!" she bopped her fist into his chest a few times, but it was like trying to bend a tractor tire with a pinky finger. No effect.

"Not happening so stop squirming or you'll get hurt even worse." His voice was still calm and collect, grating Akira's nerves to no end.

How DARE he be so calm when she was so worked up because of HIM.

"How can you be so arrogant!" she snapped with a huff, seeing as bopping him got her nowhere. She was debating on whether or not to use her good foot and kick him in the head. That should get her point across that she had two legs that could walk just fine.

"It's faster this way. You're still not use to this environment." Kiba said with finality in his tone.

Toboe sighed in relief as they started to follow after them in human form with new vigor to keep up with the unyielding leader, "That was a close call."

"I still feel like shitting myself!" Hige sighed, also relieved.

"Do that in the bushes…" Tsume glared at him.

"I feel so stupid!" Heart's groan caught the three of them off guard and pausing before following after Kiba any further, "I should have realized this would be hard for her. She's never been in a forest before." Heart berated herself, hugging her arms around her torso and starting forward after Kiba. The others took that as a sign and walked on as well.

"Never?!" Hige snorted in disbelief, "What the hell has she been doing all her life if she hasn't even been in a forest at all? I know she was at the dome, but come on! She's a wolf isn't she?"

"She was born and raised in Free City's Keep near the labs that were soon to hold Cheza. If we were in the city, Akira wouldn't have fallen off the side of a building we might have climbed or something like that. However, since she's so focused on finding this …. 'Cheza' flower she probably forgot that she's still new to all of this." Heart sighed in after thought, "She can be simple minded like that."

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Aboard the military war ship, the gunman grinned while Darcia's tiny airship staggered in the sky while it tried to fly away. He chuckled as he maneuvered the controls of the laser cannons to lock-on, smirking at how easy it was since the small ship was so damaged it couldn't out maneuver him.

"Keh! And here Darcia thought he could take the item from us and just fly off on his merry little way!" the soldier snorted as he flipped the switched up from the button that would release the lasers. The ship around him hummed as it powered up the final attack, "I wonder if he realized how stupid he was to think that, now that I'm about to send his poor fishing boat to the ground quicker!"

Cher startled him when she desperately stumbled behind him and grasped his shoulder, "YOU CAN'T!"

"Eh?!" he turned to look at her, but then back at the beeping screen that just informed him that his lock-on was lost, "FUCK WOMAN!" he barked, slamming his fist into the machine, "You just made me lose him!"

"Fool! Your mission is to save Cheza! Not hurt her! The readings say she's not on Darcia's ship so leave it be!" she whopped the soldier upside the head.

"And just what are you suggesting now, Doctor?" the commander seemed bored as he asked. He wanted to be on the battle front protecting Freeze City, not here tracking some… science experiment.

"We have to get down there." Cher replied as she looked over the readings the scanner picked up on Cheza, "Luckily by these readings, Cheza is unharmed, but she's definitely down there!" Cher looked over the scans again, realizing that they were doing something strange…, 'What on earth..?' she'd only seen these readings twice before. Once when that pup security dog, the red one, had ventured near the lab and the other when they thought they found Wolf blood from that animal that escaped Hub's division.

"You're sure it's down there?"The commander's voice brought her back.

"Affirmative. We should check the perimeter." She replied, shaking her head slightly as she pulled away from the readings.

While the commander barked out orders to the ship, Cher took a closer look, recognizing the readings with sudden realization, "A-Akira..?" she whispered as she watched the red spark of light flash around the screen, getting closer to the bright white character that represented Cheza. The brighter the white light was, the healthier and happier Cheza was, and right now it was starting to blind Cher, "Amazing!"

"Hmm?" the commander eyed her with annoyance, "Don't tell me something else has gone wrong…"

"No-No sir." Cher shook her head, "it's just that I think Ak-," she stopped for a moment, deciding against saying the dogs name for some reason, "My dog is down there with the flower."

"You have a dog?" the co-pilot turned to look at her as well as the other men stationed near her. All with strange looks.

"I thought Hub was allergic. Isn't he your-,"

"EX-Husband. Thank you." Cher gritted though her teeth. Even here she couldn't get rid of that man.

The commander ignored them, "Back to your posts men. Prepare to dock ship!" he ordered.

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"For the last time, Man," Akira groaned from Kiba's back now. He had had enough of her trying to kick him in the head so he'd shifted her to his back, holding on to her thighs tightly so she couldn't move them or get off his back any time soon, "Small pain in the ankle doesn't mean I can't walk on my own!" she grabbed a small chunk of his hair so he'd listen to her since he seemed keen on ignoring her, "I have two legs in this form to walk! I'm not so helpless as you seem to think I am!"

The others sighed a few paces behind them. No longer did they even try to keep up with Kiba, all four choosing to keep their distance since this little routine going between Akira trying various methods of persuading Kiba to let her down and Kiba ignoring Akira's attempts had been going on for a while.

"Out of the two of you…" Hige picked at the inside of his left ear annoyed, "I pegged YOU as the stubborn one, Heart." He turned his eyes to catch Hearts who shrugged. She knew very well how stubborn she was and was even proud of the fact, but Akira was acting very strange…

Akira groaned as she tried again to somehow get Kiba to let her go, but failed once more. She huffed as she crossed her arms and leaned her elbows on his shoulders, ignoring how she could feel the ripple of muscle underneath his shirt. He had given her his jacket once again, so all that was keeping her from him was a T-shirt…

Akira's eyes widened at the thought, 'N-N-Not that I care!' she thought stubbornly, quickly removing her elbows, but found that she was now off balance, and Kiba didn't seem like he was going to let her go… she had to hold on somehow. After struggling to stay upright, Akira finally settled for barely holding on to his shoulders with her hands, pouting the entire time.

Feeling her settle down, Kiba heaved a sigh, but hid a smirk, 'Apparently, she's not as docile as I first thought.' He could just barely see Heart in the corner of his eye since she and the others had sensed that they were closing in on the Flower Maiden and instinctively picked up their pace to match his own eager one, 'Probably from some influence.' He thought with a grin. For some reason, he liked her like this, when she seemed confused on whether to sit back docile or to snap back with fire she was showing now.

'_This one can feel you closer now, Akira. This one wants to see you,'_ Akira heard Cheza's voice again. That was half of the reason she started putting up more of a fight after a while of riding his back. Cheza was constantly talking to her, and she was getting anxious to see her!

Nothing was getting through to this guy… oh wait, "Kiba," she addressed with all the sweetness she could muster when she was so agitated with him as she shook his shoulders a bit under her palms, pleased to see that this time he inclined his head to show he was actually listening, "**please**__let me down?" she tried.

No response…

'He…He's IGNORING ME!' she gawked.

Akira didn't like to be ignored when she thought it was important like this, "KIBA!" she screeched, making him and the others flinch.

"Akira!" Heart scolded, cupping her abused ears.

"Just but the god damned bitch down before she blows a hole in my ear drums Kiba." Tsume snarled, "She's starting to sound like the Runts whining."

"I don't whine!" Toboe puffed up in defense.

"Yeah, you're right, you just whimper a lot." Hige laughed when the pup deflated.

"Just because I said I have a weird feeling in my chest doesn't mean anything like I whine too much or whimper!" by now, Toboe was blushing from how hard his heart was pounding. A few minutes back, he'd asked Kiba if that was the feeling he was going by to find Cheza. Kiba had tried to answer Toboe as best he could, but at the time he'd been wrestling Akira to keep her on his back while she tried the 'kicking the groin area' method to get him to drop her.

"Oh man, my hearts pounding even harder than before! Its like the further we go, the stronger this feeling becomes." Toboe whispered.

Hige's face went lax, then slowly a huge perverted grin etched its way across his mouth as his cheeks flushed slightly, "Yeah, I know! This is that cool feeling you get just before you pounce on a pretty girl!"

Heart shot him a disturbed look, "You pervert!" she hissed.

"Hey, you feel it too! Even Tsume feels it!" Hige retorted pointing an accusing finger at her, "In this form you can't hide flushed cheeks babe."

"Don't call me 'babe'." Heart aimed a kick at him, but Hige was getting better at avoiding her sneak attacks and just barely avoided her toe, still grinning like a mad man.

"I'm right aren't I? Boy, if the scent of flowers wasn't so strong, I bet I could smell your arousal too!"

Heart glared at him, "Better than SEEING tents everywhere." She scoffed, looking away from Hige, "You really are a pervert! I bet all of you guys are getting off on this smell, save for poor Toboe!" to save her eyes, Heart forced her way to walk in front of them.

"I'm not overly excited like some porky wolves here," Tsume said brashly, glaring back at Hige, "But seriously, dumbass. Calm the fuck down before I make sure it can't 'salute' anymore women that happen to pass you." He threatened.

Hige seemed to back down, keeping clear of Tsume and Heart, but Toboe just had to say something!

"Hey, look Tsume!" Toboe pointed at Hige, "It's like magic! Your threat worked! Hige's not being a pervert anymore!" in all honesty, Toboe was being completely innocent, but Hige didn't see it that way.

"SHUT THE HELL UP YOU FUCKIN TWIRP!" he pounced at Toboe, grabbing him in a choke hold and giving him a noogie from hell.

Suddenly, Akira redoubled her efforts soon as she heard the roar of a waterfall nearby, wanting to get down and make a dash for Cheza like an excited puppy "Kiba! Let me down already!" she growled in frustration as the stronger man that held her easily in place, "Come on Kiba! Please?!" she tried again. This time she sounded really excited.

With a sigh, Kiba let go of her and she plopped to the ground with a yelp of surprise on her butt. She blinked disoriented from the spot she sat on the ground, shook her head and shot a glare up at the dark brown haired humanoid form of Kiba who watched her with an amused expression in those blue eyes.

"You DID say please twice now." He shrugged, completely brushing off her glare as nothing.

Huffing in irritation, Akira rolled to her feet, brushing off the sudden stab of pain in her ankle with the sudden move and dusted her pants off, 'Of all the arrogant men…' she thought haughtily as she stood straight once again.

'_Akira…'_ Akira's head whipped towards the sound of the voice. This time it seemed to come from a specific area and not just a voice in her head. All thoughts of Kiba and the others left her as her breath caught in her throat while her heart leaped with joy. Her legs were moving before she even thought to move, half way though a few strides she plopped to all fours in wolf form surprising everyone when she stretched out her elegant neck and howled in a wispy alto while she ran.

"Is she thirsty or something?" Toboe tilted his head, "I can only smell water over there."

"There she goes _AGAIN _off on her own!" Hige sighed, "If she almost fell off a cliff last time, who knows what'll happen this time."

"Don't say things to jinx her like that, fuzz-brain." Heart chided him, calmly following Kiba's lead to pursue Akira at a slower pace. They all knew she was near the water somewhere, so there really wasn't that far for her to run off.

As they got closer to the water, the gentle roar of the waterfall became louder, but not overwhelming to them. The tall grass that reached up to their human knees softened to a mossy texture and the pines gave way to much softer trees, some even baring fruit! Humming birds zipped about, one nearly ran into Toboe's face, startling the distracted boy as it zoomed off with a hum of its ever beating wings. The air was crisp and clear with the spice of its mountainous altitude dryness that only held the hint of decay because of the recent visit from the nearby airships.

"Oh by the moon!" Heart gasped in delight when they finally broke through the greenery and actually saw the pool of water.

Crystal clear blue, shining with silvery highlights reflecting the cloudy sky above. The waterfall rumbled in the far corner, digging its way through white marble rock ruins and tumbling over the mountainside to splash down into the crystal pool, creating a beautiful light mist over the rest of the pool. Fallen pillars of a forgotten civilization majestically lay about the pool and boulders rose up out of the water near the shallow shores while a dull rainbow half-curved over the roaring waterfall and willow trees lapped their leaves into the shoreline waters.

"Kiba…" Toboe's voice was breathless as he stared in awe, "Is this… this isn't paradise is it?"

"No." Kiba's eyes were focused on one thing and one thing only.

There, sitting on one of the closer boulders to the shore was a lily-white maiden with pale violet-pink hair. Her youthful body was incased in a white bodysuit that opened for her hands, belly, small of her back, and the tops of her shoulders. A thick metallic shackle with a broken delicate chain wrapped loosely around her neck, just under her short-cropped hair. Twin-sets matched the collar-shackle fastened to her wrists and ankles. She was the epitome of youthful innocents. A pure white maiden.

Behind her sat the very red wolf that ran off from them- Akira. The she-wolf curled her neck over the maiden's shoulder, preening in the affectionate hug the girl held around the wolf's neck, stroking her fingers through the thick fur about her neck. They could see the white-tipped tail wag luxuriously behind Akira, as if what she were feeling was heaven on earth. The maiden paused for a moment, making Akira whimper. She lifted her face towards them, showing her sightless ruby eyes and a wide-spread smile on her face as she held out her hands to them in a welcoming gesture. Akira stood and turned towards them as well, wagging her tail to encourage their approach.

"That's….. That's her?" Toboe whispered.

"It would seem like…. I never thought the flower maiden would look so…. Young." Heart replied just as quietly, almost in fear that if they spoke too loudly, the maiden would spook and dash off like a doe.

"It's really her?" Tsume watched wryly.

"This one cannot describe how happy she is that you have returned, Akira." Cheza said softly as she lifts her arm to curve under Akira's jaw and scratch her ear. Akira groaned in reply, enjoying the insanely heavenly feeling it provoked. Cheza's touch was magical and relaxing, just as she'd always remembered her presence to be.

"I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them." Akira admitted while Cheza let her arm fall back to her side gently.

"This one is happy to greet new friends." Cheza's smile widened to a grin of pure excitement, "This one is especially joyous that _he_ is here with you finally." She added. Her ruby eyes were locked on the direction Kiba was approaching them from as she felt his icy cool aura flitter over hers. She smiled knowingly as she felt Akira's contrasting fiery red aura tremble at her side in confusion. In time the red and the white would learn of their destiny, but it was Cheza's own destiny to take them along the path.

Akira tilt her head to the side, pouting her lower lip in thought "Cheza, I don't understand… Just who are you talking about?" she asked, noticing and keeping an unconscious track of ever step the white wolf in human form took towards herself and her most precious friend.

Cheza simply shook her head with a smile of some one who knew something wonderful was unfolding before them, "This one cannot tell you yet." She turned her head to face Akira with those enchanting sightless eyes of hers.

"Cheza" Akira pleaded half heartedly as her foxy-curiosity getting the better of her, wanting to understand this mystery the Flower Maiden was tempting her thoughts agonizingly, almost.

Toboe clutched a hand to his chest as the flower maiden smiled up at them, "My heart just skipped a beat!"

"Calm down, pup before you do something too premature for your age." Tsume only half heartedly jibed at the young wolf. Though Kiba had taken a few steps ahead of them, the boy was now walking forward confidently, intent on confronting this strange entity.

"Just hold on a second!" Tsume reached out to pull the young man back, but Heart stopped him before he could even touch Kiba, shaking her head.

"Let him go. If Akira trusts this girl, then the least we could do is give a bit of our trust to her as well." Heart said with out taking her eyes off the seen playing out before them. Her breath left her as she held it, knowing instinctively that something life changing was unfolding just before their very eyes.

Though Akira knew it was Kiba, she still stood soon as he came within range of Cheza's arms. Her small, lithe body tensed at the ready to defend the Flower, but Cheza rest a calming hand in her neck-fur, stroking her fingers in the thick silkiness and massaging under the heavy heated metal of the dog-chain choker around the red-wolf's neck, "It is alright, Cheza. This one has known this soul before."

Once more confused, Akira turned orange eyes to the man before her. His human blue eyes weren't even acknowledging her. They seemed glued to the Flower Maiden, Cheza, at Akira's side, filled with both wonder and a warm closeness like he was seeing a loved one after a long departure. Her anxiety over what the other's reactions to Cheza were appeased and settled, but she still felt uneasy with that look in Kiba's eye for Cheza. Never the less, she obeyed Cheza; lowering her head and backing up to sit on the boulder complacently while Cheza pushed away from her spot on the boulder to stand, waiting for Kiba to make the first move.

Kiba's blue eyes remained soft on the Flower Maiden as his lips softy parted, "Cheza," he spoke with such tenderness.

Cheza's eyes widened with recognition, and then softened as well as if he were her dear friend she hadn't come in contact with in so long. She reached out her hands to the white wolf that now took the place of the silent man, stroking his soft fur on his cheeks before moving down his neck and hugging the white wolf to her in a welcoming embrace. Kiba whined at the sudden surge of feeling the girl's touch flooded inside him. It was far from sexual, but it still felt like such gratifying bliss that he couldn't hold back the pitiful canine vocal response even if he wanted to. His downy white tail twitched behind him, relaxing from its upright hold he had on it to rest at his hind legs while he accepted Cheza's embrace and rubbed his cheek to hers in turn.

"We meet. At last," she whispered in his fur, heaving a sigh of relief.

Akira's ears flopped down, feeling a bit left out. She stood up and plopped down from the boulder, wading in the water to the crouching girl and the white wolf, nuzzling the maidens back lovingly with a happy whine while she wagged her tail in askance. Cheza parted from Kiba, the white wolf perking his ears in confusion while he whined at her retreat. She giggled at his puppy-like response, wrapping an arm around Akira's neck to encourage the she-wolf to come closer to her side and then hooked her other arm around Kiba's neck as well. She then hugged them both to her, smiling brightly and giggling when Kiba's tail flew up in the air, wagging with more vigor than Akira's!

"This one rejoices!" she smiled between them while Akira tentively licked her pale cheek.

"Ah, I wish I was the one being held like that." Toboe sighed while he and the others watched on.

"Can that really be…" Tsume was still not sure about this. It just seemed to easy to find the much coveted flower of the nobles out here in the woods and just walk away with her like this.

"Yeah, that's her defiantly. That's the flower maiden." Hige said with his goofily relaxed expression still on his face. He seemed like he was on cloud nine and flying high than a kite.

Heart glanced back at Tsume to gage his reaction to all this before turning to look back at the tender scene of the maiden embracing the two wolves. She knew it was completely rational for Tsume to doubt the situation, but couldn't he just take something at face value like this just for once?

"Seeing Akira like this makes me relieved." She said softly as her red eyes rest on the red wolf in particular like a proud older-sister, "The pain of Shura's and her father's death was weighing heavily on her heart. Even though she pushed the pain away so she could follow us without alarming anyone, she was hurting so much by burying those feelings like that. But now… now Cheza has healed her heart of pain. Even though she'll probably still grieve the loss of he-e-er…" Heart's voice was breaking up, alarming the others while her eyes watered with emotion, "her loved ones… she's found her-her strength now." The others turned to see Heart while hot tears fell down her tanned cheeks and she sniveled back her heavy sobs. She had been so worried about Akira up till now, "Cheza gave her will a second chance."

**A/N- **_Oh wow! I just had my first day of Second Semester in University and what a DAY! There was nearly no rest what so ever, but it was a blast! Other than the ice storm damage done to my truck, I'm peachy fine! Lol! I felt that the last chapter was really touching but really depressing as well, so I decided to update quickly as I could. The next update probably wont come until maybe Feb. but I still wanna hear from you guys! I especially wanna hear from those of you who seem shy and just read the story ^_^ I promise I don't bite, even if you have criticism for me. Scouts honor! Lol so review and talk to me! I'd love to hear you!_

_Also, I have a portrait of all the wolves of LFASN! Its on my deviant Art account (most of the art there is bleh since I don't have a scanner just yet, but that will soon change as I get my artwork for this fic up and going on the net!) you can find the link to the art at the top of my profile page anytime or just follow this link:_

_http:/ /italianstallion5 ./art /LFASN-Wolves- 149426856_

_---Just take out the spaces In between! Whoot!_

**Review Responses-**

**Amber-** Yeah, I dunno what it is about the name "Ruze" but it seemed stronger than the name I had for him before. Lol

**Venom-** Lucky! Being the only child must be fun to not share constantly with siblings! I'm a middle child that gets shoved around like the youngest so I feel envy! Lol! Nah, Mose doesn't deserve anymore screenshots than he got (dirty, rotten… grr) Do you like how long I'm making the chapters? ^_^

**Wolfsbane- **hehehe! Run run run as fast as you can, you cant escape me little Akira and Kiba-chan! Lmao! Yeah, Akira is acting like Toboe more in the beginning now because I want to show how she grows stronger in a better way this time since its her first time actually acting like a wolf.

**Canis simenis- **your nickname is starting to spark interest in me. Where'd you come up with the name? I love it! (wags tail) lol! How did I do with the meeting with Cheza?

**PussycatLover- **(Grins) so you're a Jasper fan? Hehehe!

**KillerHotFeline- **Don't worry about Akira, she's starting to get to notice Kiba a bit more now that Cheza helped heal her consuming sorrow for Shura (though its kinda hard just to walk away from the death of a mother, so she's still hurt and sad, but just not suicidal-depressed) and Kiba will be well… Kiba for a while XDD

**Carnage- **Awww! I made the Macho-Man cry! (feels a bit guilty but finds it too amusing) I'm happy that I wrote in a way that moves you so! ^_^ must mean I'm doing something right! Lol- Ok, I'll remember not to bang my head. And yeah, it happens a lot when I forget something, but now it just makes me almost paranoid that I forget something ELSE! Lol!

~Dessy-san!


	7. Chapter 6 Not Gonna Get us

_Starting from here, let's make a promise_

_You and me, let's just be honest_

_We're gonna run, nothing can stop us_

_Even the night, that falls all around us_

_Soon there will be, laughter and voices_

_Beyond the crowds, over the mountains_

_We'll run away, on roads that are empty_

_Lights from the airfield, shining upon you_

_Nothing can stop us, not now I love ya_

_They're not gonna get us_

_**Not Gonna Get Us- T.A.T.U**_

Chapter 6- Not Gonna Get Us

"This one sense's pain residing in you, Akira." Cheza's hand sought out Akira's shoulder while the human form of the red wolf walked beside her. Her other hand was nestled in Kiba's protective grasp as he lead the flower maiden through the forest with the others following behind almost in a daze. Though Kiba was walking at the front, he took Cheza's soft directions as she lead them back to her 'home' across the wondrous forest they trekked.

Akira snapped her head up to attention from her dazed daydreaming, surprised that Cheza was talking since the Flower Maiden had been quiet until now, "Who me? Pain?" Akira grinned at the maiden, shaking her head to brush off the thought, "No, No, Cheza. You must be mistaken- I'm just fine now. My pain is gone and my wounds are healed now, thanks to your healing presence and touch." She patted her shoulder for good measures, pausing in her steps and falling slightly behind the rest of them.

Cheza smiled, but it was a sad one as she shook her head, "No, Akira. You do not understand this one." She leveled her ruby eyes as if they were able to see straight through Akira's own and peer into her soul. On some level, Akira believed Cheza could see into her soul, with out a doubt, "The pain I sense is not of the flesh, but of the heart. You are clouded with great sorrow, it is hiding your aura from this one, it is so dark over your heart."

Akira forced herself to start walking once more, though her body froze. Her lungs constricted, forcing a whoosh of breath from her lips, a falter in her step and a skip of her pulse. She quickly forced her grin back on her face, '_No. Not yet. Do not allow those thoughts to surface just yet. I've come to terms with Shura and the pups but…_' a pair of green eyes flashed in her mind, '_Jazz…'_ she still had no idea if he was still alive or even well. She had come to terms with Shura because she knew for a fact that Shura and her father had passed on, but not knowing about Jazz's fate was killing her inside. It was the difference of being alone in this world or having that small bit of blood family left to hold on to.

Heart and the others shared a look of worry, sensing the sudden drop in Akira's mood. All but Kiba noticed it. Kiba seemed content to lead on with Cheza at hand and a content expression on his face. It was almost as if he forgot all about the others, only aware of Cheza's presence and the blissful feeling she brought to him.

'_Looks like Kiba has moved on- just like that.'_ Heart thought sympathetically looking between the oblivious 'leader' and the emotionally troubled she-wolf not a foot away from him, '_The asshole just drops her like this, getting high off Cheza's presence and doesn't even pick up on Akira's pain even AFTER Cheza mentions it.'_ Heart suppressed a loathing growl and instead cleared her throat.

"So what is your home like, Cheza?" Heart changed subject, having mercy on Akira by changing subjects.

Cheza's sightless eyes brightened to a sparkling ruby hue as a smile danced across her pale lips, "It is the place this one holds closest to her heart. Moonlight always shines upon close friends and family and the land is rich with goodness and health." The maiden chatted fondly about her home as she lead the wolves onward, grasping all six of their attentions as she wove her gentle words in the darkening night.

"There are others like you?" Toboe awed.

"Oh yes. Many like this one." Cheza nodded, "We are all family in this one's home." She grinned back to the youngster who seemed to wag his tail in anticipation.

"Family, ne?" Hige grinned warmly, "So, does that mean you have brothers and sisters, Cheza?"

Cheza giggled, "This one's tribe is her brothers and sisters. We are all born from the earth and raised by the moon and so we all are their children and siblings to one another."

"Sounds pretty close-knit." Toboe admired, "You know, like a field of flowers? How they're all sprouted individually really close together like that?"

"She IS the flower maiden." Tsume pointed out sarcastically.

"Oh hush, sour-puss." Heart chuckled as she lightly pushed his shoulder in a familiar way, "Don't bring down a good vibe going."

"Whatever." Tsume snorted from his place at the back of the pack. He went slower than the others, making sure that stragglers like Akira were keeping up. So far he had been her silent distant shadow, but her own silence was bothering him.

Unlike her usual posture, Akira's head was bowed down watching the ground in front of her feet while she walked. Normally, Tsume noticed that she had her head level or higher, looking around at the new world around her in curiosity. She normally walked with a slight swing of her arms, but they were crossed in front of her chest and pulled tightly to her body. She let her red bangs fall in her face a bit, instead of reaching up to tug them out of the way as was her custom. She was normally so predictable that for someone naturally perceptive of people's habits like Tsume, it was easy to tell this she-wolf was remembering the family she lost. The others were chatting to Cheza about her family, so it was only natural for Akira's mind to wander back to her belated one. The older male suppressed a groan in his throat. He didn't know why he cared, but it was getting really annoying having such an upbeat, curious girl acting all down in the dumps. She'd start slowing them down if he let her keep it up. Even the pup, Toboe, who was walking at Akira's side like usual could pick up on Akira's thoughts.

"You… you miss them still, don't you?" His soft youthful voice pulled Akira out of her reverie slightly. The others ahead of them hadn't noticed Toboe had spoken, but Toboe kept his brown eyes trained on Akira, waiting for her to lift her head. When she did, he smiled warmly, trying to coax her to open up to him, "With all that's happened, I almost forgot that you lost them recently. I'm sorry for bringing up something that might have hurt you still. I really liked Shura when I met her," he tried to find common ground with her.

Tsume's calculating golden eyes darted from Toboe to the back of Akira's head, wondering if she was going to start crying. Didn't most little girls cry? He sought out Heart quickly, deciding that if the waterworks started going, he'd get Heart to calm Akira down.

Akira's orange eyes were full of surprise as she met Toboe's genuine smile, she couldn't help but smile back in return, but it didn't meet her eyes, "I'm that see-through, huh?" she shook her head gently, then looked forward again with a sigh, "Don't worry about it. I don't blame you for forgetting what happened- Even I forgot with all that's gone on in finding Cheza." Glanced his way and then down to the ground, going silent for a moment, "I just… you know. I can't get over just how fast my family was taken from me like that. It's only been a few months since we were all back in Freeze City together and only days since I was giggling with Shura about the pups. It just seems so surreal…"

"I'm sorry." Toboe apologized, looking down ashamed.

"No, don't be." She waved him off, "But you know what? I'm positive she was going to have three pups. I heard their heartbeats! Two boys and a girl!"

Toboe tilted his head confused, "You sound… so sure about them? Wasn't she still pregnant when she… you know?"

Akira grinned secretly, holding up a finger and winking at Toboe, confusing him, "Don't underestimate a woman's intuition, Toboe. I know because I am female and we have super all-knowing powers when it comes to things like this." With the single digit she waved in the air with her declaration, she poked the tip of his nose with the pad of her finger, giggling at his utter look of shock, "Kay? It's a secrete."

"Y-Yeah… ok." Toboe whole-heartedly believed that women had that special all-knowing about this sort of thing. He blushed and turned away, feeling childish for having asked her such an 'obvious' question. He cleared his throat while she chuckled at his discomfort. On the one hand, he was happy that he could get her to smile after thinking of her deceased family, on the other hand… "What about your brother? Didn't you say you had an older brother?"

"Brother?" Akira nodded, "Yes. That's right. Jazz."

"Well, he's still alive right?" Toboe turned back to her with a determined look, "That means that you're not completely alone with out your blood-pack!"

"Well, yeah, I hope so." Akira admitted, tugging her bangs away from her eyes in thought, "I never saw him die…"

"Hey! Then that means we're bound to run into him if he's headed for paradise like you are." Hige butt in from his place in front of them near Heart.

"You… You really think so?" Akira perked up, her hope-filled, teary puppy-dog eyes shining with utter trust and such longing that it made Hige jolt.

Hige gulped, not wanting to give her false information, but the overwhelming weight of guilt that he just MIGHT have crushed him and left his throat dry. He couldn't lie to her when she looked so… desperate like that. He smiled nervously and looked back to Tsume behind the two of them. Better to let the badass break it to her and Tsume was the coldest heart among them in Hige's book.

"What do you think Tsume?" he asked in feigned innocence.

Tsume growled a low grunt in his throat, wanting nothing more than to rip the poker wolf a new one for dragging him into this. He opened his mouth sharply, intent on letting the bastard have it and barking that he could give a rats ass if this so called 'brother' cared or not, but his voice caught in his throat just as quickly as Akira and Toboe turned trusting eyes back to him. Toboe had the pathetic puppy putty eyes that annoyed Tsume, but Akira's orange eyes were so pleading, so … desperate for him to say the right thing that it froze him of any harsh words he would have said. Swallowing back those spitfirered words, for once in Tsume's life, he felt the compelling urge to reassure this broken heart in front of him. She didn't need any more pain or cruelty.

Heart kept sharp red eyes trained over her shoulder discretely, wanting to see just how Tsume replied to Akira's pain. She sneered at the sight of him struggling to reply and sighed in exasperation, "The Big Bad Wolf can go up against thousands of human soldiers, but pitted against a young girls heart and he cowers in fear…" she grumbled under her breath, but knew that Tsume caught it from the surprised look in his eye. Heart stopped walking, turning to the side so she could look at him from the corner of her eye better, "Well? Is Jasper alive or isn't he, Tsume?" she prompted daringly

"Humph," Tsume snorted, snapping out of it. The swell of his confidence back in full swing now, "If this Jasper guy is as determined as we are to get to Paradise, then there's no doubt in my mind that we'll run into him sooner or later." He replied.

'_That didn't say that he was alive or not…'_ Heart mused.

"Th-Thank you." Heart's doubtful thoughts halted when her red eyes spied Akira. Her orange eyes were brimmed with grateful tears as she rose up the palm of her hand to try and blot them away, "Thank you Tsume!" she choked as the tears started to flow, "It really means a lot to me,"

"Why are you crying, wench!!?" Tsume nearly yelped startled, "Hey! I said it so you would stop that shit! Not start crying on me!" he was at a loss.

"TSUME!" Toboe admonished as he put an arm around Akira, letting her cry against him, "Look what you did!" he glared.

"No, no!" Akira pushed away from Toboe smiling, though her tears were still falling at a slower pace, "I'm crying because I'm relieved and happy, Toboe. Tsume's not to blame."

"Crying because you're happy?" Hige tilt his head, "I've seen human women do that…"

"Akira is very special in that her emotions are more human than wolf." Cheza smiled, turning to look at Akira fondly, "That is one of the things this one most admires about her."

Kiba stayed solemn as ever beside Cheza, but his blue eyes were trained on Akira while Toboe fussed over her tears. She was laughing genuinely at the frantic pup while she dried her own tears and thanked the flustered Tsume for helping her cheer up. Part of him felt guilty that it wasn't himself that was fussing over her, but he was Cheza's protector now. There was plenty of the pack to take care of Akira while he protected the Flower Maiden. He felt his pulse stutter when those bright orange eyes sensed his own gaze on her and their line of sight collided. She smiled warmly back to him, but Kiba didn't return her smile. He turned away, feeling the disappointment swell inside him once more and not understanding it completely as he tugged on Cheza's hand.

"Come. Let's keep moving." He said softly.

Cheza frowned back at him, but followed nonetheless. Her sightless eyes looking over her shoulder to Akira who watched after them, feeling the same disappointment Kiba felt, but unlike Kiba, she was starting to understand what the feeling was slightly. She could tell she was getting waaay too attached to Kiba.

"Like I said before what ever." Tsume brushed off as he urged the two of them to move on forward with the rest of the pack, "Get a move on."

"We are entering this one's home." Cheza announced in her soft voice as they approached the crest of the mountain they were climbing up on the steady slope. The rock opened up to a neatly cut cave entrance- definitely man-made.

"So what is Akira's brother like?" Cheza asked as they entered a ruined doorway that was probably once the entrance to flower maidens' home, "This one didn't sense him much before."

"Yeah, is he a hybrid like you?" Toboe asked.

"No, Jazz isn't a blood brother of mine. Pappa and my birth mother adopted him before I was born when they found him abandoned outside a human's home. He's a purebred wolf, not a hybrid like I am. He's very big for a wolf too, with silver gray and green eyes. All the girl dogs in the kennel back at the Keep fancied him over all the other males in the, because of his easygoing charm and nature. He was always a people person. I think he'd make a good leader one day."

"Sounds like my kind of guy. I'm eager to meet him and swap a few pick up lines for the ladies." Hige smirked back at her with a waggle of his brow.

"You'd learn some life changing things then, 'cause you'll probably learn the RIGHT way to pick up a lady wolf." Heart snickered slyly.

"Why do you always choose to pick on the nice guy? Huh?" Hige sighed dejectedly, "I don't remember ever INTIENTIONALLY pissing you off!"

"Nice guy? I don't see one around here besides Toboe. Do you Heart?" Akira joined in the fun with a bright smile.

"Nope. Unless the trees grow fur, paws, tail and a nose that is," Heart giggled back.

"You guys really are something else." Hige lightly played back, grinning while everyone laughed; thankful for the mood change.

"Kiba," Cheza's footsteps stooped as she felt her familiar surroundings of her home, "This one is home! This is where this one was born."

Akira cocked her head to the side, watching the flower maiden release Kiba's hand and rush excitedly into the hole of the mountain that opened up into a corridor that was more like a room than a natural cave formation. As the wolves followed the cheerful maiden further in, each took note that the layout of the inward tunnels was a mix between natural caves and man-made hallways and chambers. Vines and other wildlife overran the place enough to show that no one had stood in this place that was human for a long time. It was long ago abandoned and the forest had reclaimed what man had taken from it. The structures would sometimes open up to the outside of the mountain, much like the pueblo Indians had done in ancient times of earth. The cold grey stone seemed gloomy as it let in the grey light of the cloud-crowded sun from the outside. It was almost depressing to walk through the place, but Chezas enthusiasm more than made up for what her ancient home lacked as she twisted around while she ran to look at her beloved wolves, "This way!" she called.

Though it might have seemed immature and 'pup-ish', Akira took to her wolf form, wagging her tail and darting after the flower maiden while Cheza turned down another hallway, deeper into the mountain home, "Cheza! Wait for me!" she barked out, bursting through the pack to get to Cheza, but giving Kiba a wide birth, not wanting to collide with him. Kiba was already in wolf form by the time the red wolf streaked pass him. He trotted after her at a calmer pace, but was quick enough to keep both females with in his sights, leaving the rest of the pack to play catch up at their own pace. The four left behind were in no hurry, and so did not rush after the threesome.

"Whose the pup around here?" Hige chuckled. They were all happy that her spirits kicked up a notch and were each amused to some degree to watch her act younger than her years.

Heart smiled as well, her heart warming as she was reminded just how innocent Akira really was; running around like a human dog pup romping and playing chase with her playmate. A chill ran down her spine suddenly, stopping the warm feeling as a sense of awareness hit her. Her nostrils twitched and sneezed slightly, catching the overwhelming scent that clung to human armor and the lube for their guns. Her hand twitched near her hip to her gun, but Tsume caught her wrist.

"Use that and you're just going to show them where we are." He warned. His entire body tensed as he looked around, on high alert, "Hige, can you detect how many are here?"

"Their smell is too strong." Hige snorted his nose irritatably and sneered at the invisible enemy that was closing in on them, "There's either a lot of them, or they all stink." He deduced with distaste.

"What's going on?" Toboe shifted nervously, instinctively following his elder's example and huddling his back with theirs, keeping his eyes wide and trained on the opening of the mountain that acted like a glass-less window to the ancient structure inside.

"It's Humans." Heart replied shortly, while her sharp red autumn eyes searched the opening, missing nothing that moved, but also not catching anything that gave away to the human's position, "They found us." The hand that itched to grab her gun snatched Toboe's arm instead, hauling him to her side in an act of maternal instinct to protect the young, "Stay close." She said softly as the younger wolf took her advise to heart and plastered himself to her side. His smaller body tense and frightened.

Tsume's golden eyes widened suddenly, "Get down!" he all but screamed!

No sooner had he tackled Heart to the ground while those words left his mouth did the fire of sniper bullets echo in the ruin walls behind them nicking into the previously untouched rock at their backs while the bullet aimed for Heart's head ricocheted off the rock walls in a resounding 'PWWWEOOONG!'

"HOLY MOTHER OF-," Hige gasped out, but Tsume shoved him forward to get moving towards the enclosed area of rock and away from the open balconies they currently resided stupidly.

"GET YOUR ASS MOVING! WE NEED TO GET KIBA AND GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Tsume made sure he was at the flank of the rest of the wolves as he urged them to run for their very lives, all but shoving poor, confused Toboe into the darker recesses of the mountain after Hige and Heart.

With the adrenaline pumping in their veins rapidly, the four wolves haphazardly followed the dark hallways of the inner mountain, following them into a wider area, another chamber that lead to more hallways in every direction. It was here that Heart spotted red and white fur known as Kiba and Akira.

"AKIRA!" the she-wolf called out as the four burst into the room in their wolf forms, panting at the throats with the sudden burst of movement required of them.

Akira and Kiba whirled around to meet them with surprised faces. Kiba stayed at Cheza's worried side, refusing to leave his dutiful place while Akira darted forward to meet her friends halfway. The red wolf was alarmed at Toboe's panicked expression and the others tensed forms. Their fur was standing on the backs of their necks in threat.

"What happened? What's going on?" Akira's tail rose like a flag over her body in alarm as she looked from one face to the next, struggling to understand what could have them so spooked.

"There's humans all over the place!" Hige nearly shouted back at her.

Toboe looked over his shoulder cautiously, "I think we're surrounded or something! One already sniped at Hearts head!"

"Heart??" Akira quickly looked over her friend, sighing with short-lived relief when she realized Heart was unharmed, "But I don't understand, why are there humans all the way out here?"

Heart shook her head to imply she had no clue, "It's of little concern to us now. We need to get out of here before they catch up too close to us! We can still shake'em."

"Yeah, but why are they after us? We weren't in our wolf forms when they spotted us until we got into the darkness of the caves and we've done nothing to harm anything!" Akira whimpered in protest. Her pacifist heart not quite grasping the situation at hand, but the other wolves were too agitated to explain human mentality of wolves to her.

Tsume knew he had a good idea of just who they were after and why they were chasing the wolves so vigorously. His calculating, untrusting gaze fell to Cheza accusingly, though her back was turned to him while she knelt on the ground near a mound of petrified withered flowers and hollowed out faces- probably remnants of her 'family'. He was startled when the flower maiden choked on a gasp of fear as she turned her ruby eyes to him, twisting her body to face him as if he had stricken her with his thoughts. Tsume didn't expect her to sense him like that and blinked back dumbly in surprise before Kiba quickly asserted himself, stepping into Tsume's line of sight and protecting the flower from the grey wolf's piercing glare, his white fur stood on end as he lowered his head and pinned back his ears with a deathly snarl that had Tsume's dominative instincts rebuking in response as he returned the gesture just as gruesomely.

"Don't you _dare_ go accusing her!" Kiba threatened as he defended Cheza, snarling at the untrusting wolf.

Not one to tolerate threats, Tsume took a menacing step forward, having had enough of Kiba's arrogance and over stepping dominance with a snarl of his own, "Do you see any other reason for an army working for a noble to chase us out of their city and they into a forest?"

"Come'on guys! We don't have time for this!" Toboe's voice shook a bit while he fought the urge to back away from the two powerful males butting heads for dominance, "There's no way it's Cheza's fault! She would never do that to us, Tsume."

Heart was disinclined to take the grey wolf's side this time, "It's true that she never intended this, Toboe, but those humans could be from one of the sky ships. They were probably fighting over her in the sky early before she glided to us. Its likely that in some essence it really is her-,"

"So what!" Akira snapped, her shrilled voice bouncing off the walls as her small furry form stood as tall as it could while she seemed to command their attention. Her legs shook, wanting to run from the impending sense that she was being chased, but she ignored it in favor of setting Cheza's name clear again, "Would you rather us just GIVE her up to them?"

"If it were that SIMPLE," Heart bit back agitated, "we wouldn't be running!" Akira pinned back her ears, taken aback that Heart would consider handing over Cheza!

"Can this wait until AFTER we escape! We're being surrounded and they're getting closer!" Hige's voice rushed out in a breath, "We have to find a way out of these tunnels before they trap us in here!"

"If we give her back now, they'll slow down and forget about us. Then later on we can take her back once we're more prepared to escape quicker!" Heart reasoned, "We're not abandoning her!" she defended.

"NEVER!" Kiba snarled at her. The dominant male in him was infuriated that his subordinates were not heeding his decision.

"Kiba!" Tsume snapped, wanting the white wolf to just leave the damned flower and escape. He agreed whole-heartedly with Heart.

"This way." Cheza turned to her right and shuffled at a fast pace across the wide-open area and down one of the many hallways the room let into. The tunnel was darker than the rest and had no signs of light anywhere near it… in other words it was in the opposite direction as the 'out'.

"Ch-Cheza..." Heart hesitated as she and the others looked longingly back to the lighter tunnels they knew lead to the outside. Kiba, on the other hand did not hesitate to follow loyally after the maiden, shifting to human form as he went and catching up to her side.

"Stay in human form from here on out." He called over his shoulder, but did not turn to them, expecting them to show the same blind-loyalty he showed in Cheza's directions.

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT I JUST SAID?!" Hige shouted after them, stomping his now human foot in frustration and grinding the heel into the dirt beneath them, "Aaah hell! Fine!" he threw his hands in the air, but refused to follow, choosing instead to follow Tsume's lead since Tsume was the veteran when it came to these kinds of situations.

Tsume growled in frustration, "Tch, if he's so eager to die, let him!" he balled his fists, unsheathing the gruesome fist-handle blade he had on his human form and tucking it stealthily to his body as he turned quickly around. With out another word he strode with ambition after the sound of gunfire and men shouting outside, "I refuse to hide until they skin my pelt!" he growled.

"Where the hell are you going?" Hige called after him confused.

"The escape route is usually AWAY from the guns!" Heart snapped, glancing from the way Kiba and Cheza left to Tsume's back as if she were trying to decide which fool to follow.

"They'll hunt us down either way, so I'm going to fight fire with fire." That was the only explanation the stubbornly striding man gave them as he continued on his way.

Heart and Hige shared a dry look, "Well that make perfect sense. In order to get away, one must run into the heart of the enemy and get away via suicide." Heart remarked, pulling out her pistol and cocking it with a similar cocky smirk on her lips, "I like it." She followed after Tsume, twirling the gun around her index finger as if she were going to shot at a carnival festival booth instead of human soldiers.

"You're going to get us all killed, the both of you know that right??" Hige complained as he rushed to catch up with Heart.

"Then run away with your tail between your legs, coward." Tsume snorted back as the three disappeared down the lighter tunnel.

This left poor Toboe and Akira struggling to decide whom to follow. Both young human-form wolfs looked up and down the dark tunnel and the light rapidly in confusion.

"Tsume..? Kiba..? Which way do we go??" Toboe's voice was strained with something akin to anxiety, "I don't like either way!" he turned to Akira, hoping the elder she-wolf would have more wisdom in which way, but he was sadly mistaken.

The red head bit her lip, unsure of what to do, "I don't know…" Akira trailed off. Both of them jerked startled when they heard gunshots coming from the direction Heart and Hige ran off to follow Tsume's lead. Startled yelps and hollers made both of their fine hairs on their bodies stand on end. Toboe gripped onto Akira's faded, blood-stained sleeve like a child that wanted to hide behind his mothers skirt and Akira herself seemed to share the feeling.

"I think Kiba and Cheza could use some company in the dark tunnel, huh?" Akira gulped, taking a step towards the darker tunnel and keeping her wide orange eyes trained on the lighter, nosier tunnel.

"Y-YEAH!" Toboe yelped and off they bolted after Kiba and Cheza, "Kiba! Wait for us!"

* * *

Bullets whizzed and darted everywhere as Orchems troops shot rapid-fire arms at the brown haired young man in a bright colored hoody. Hige had just struck down one of them, feeling very pleased that he knocked the man out, but had to duck for cover immediately as his buddies noticed the feat as well and retaliated by shooting at him.

"For the love of the MOON!" Hige groaned, "They're everywhere!" he had to press himself to the safety of the boulder he hid behind tightly, trying to stay low as possible while the bullets hailed on him. He'd been lucky to sneak out here from the wall of the mountain to strike down the soldier now at his feet, but now that he was found, they weren't giving him another chance to sneak around to another location easily. He kicked the unconscious head of his knocked out victim with a frustrated huff, "If you hadn't of squawked so loud, man, your buddies wouldn't have started hailing me with these shit loads of bullets! Damn it, now I can't move!" he whined.

"GAAAH!!"

"AAAAHHHH!"

"HUH? HEY! WHAT THE- AHHHH!"

Hige braced himself, cringing his teeth and covering his ears from the continuous rain of machine gun fire until all he could hear was ringing in his own ears. Was it really silent now, or was that just his own ears ringing LOUDER than the bullets now? Hesitantly, Hige slowly let his hands fall from covering his ears and peeked over the edge of the boulder he hid behind. His jaw dropped as he was just in time to see Heart slam her elbow down into the nose of a soldier that she grasped the collar of his armor. The stunned man fell down to the ground with a groaning THUD and remained as motionless as the rest of them while the human-form female clapped her hands together as if knocking the dust off them. She didn't seem to notice Hige's drooling gawk while she dusted off the rest of her body and soothed the stray strands of her layered hair back into place, like a cat that just finished taking down her prey.

"Holy hell, Heart!" Hige breathed with a shit-eating grin, "Where'd you learn to fight like that! There's ten bodies laying around he-," he suddenly stopped short when she drew her gun on him, cocked and ready. In reflex, he held up his hands to show he was on her side, "Whoa there!" he yelped.

"Move." She said softly.

"Wha-,"

BANG!

Hige ducked and covered his head with a yelp soon as the weapon set off. He heard the click of her sharp heels on her boots as the woman strutted towards him and nudged his side with the toe of her boot, reloading the pistol nonchalantly.

"Relax, big guy." Heart reassured while she checked over her gun, "I didn't kill him."

"Kill who??" Hige shot back to his feet awkwardly, trying to save face from cowering away from her weapon like a frightened weakling, but it was too late, Heart knew he nearly peed his pants.

She nodded her head towards the groaning man behind him clutching the inside of his calf where the bullet had shot through his leg, "Him." She replied, sheathing her gun again.

"Damn BITCH! I'll fuckin tear you apart!" the soldier spat, "You'll look worse than a retarded whore when I'm done with you!"

Heart paused a moment and Hige felt a dangerous aura roll off her. Apparently, she didn't like insults coming from her wounded prey. He jerked back when she drew her gun again, cocked and loaded. Before the soldier could groan out another insult, he had two silver bullets in the groin. The man screamed in pain and clutched his crotch as the blood flowed down his pants legs and soaked the black material.

"OH! MY. GAAAAWWWD!" the man screamed and he writhed in pain while Heart approached him coldly. While he squirmed around, trying to free himself from the unrelenting pain, Heart's boot pinned him as she stomped down on his ribs, holding him down easily as she fisted her hands in the collar of his armor and held him up. Her cold red eyes commanded his to focus on her as she snared down at the filth she just shot.

"Oh look at this," she spat loathingly, "looks like you'll never be able to use your filthy whores again, doesn't it? I just neutered you like a dog, soldier boy!" she shoved him back to the ground, "No more 'salutes' for you!" she kicked him in the face with her boot, nearly breaking his neck from the force, but held back so he was just knocked out.

She then turned to Hige, "Lets go."

"R-Right." Hige gulped and did what any man would do in the presents of a pissed off woman with a gun like Heart…. Subtly covered his own groin and made sure NOT to piss her off to this point.

Heart smirked over her shoulder, noticing Hige's cautious behavior, "You know, you owe me for that one, Big guy."

"Owe you??" Hige gulped as he followed her lead.

"Would you rather I just let you deal with them?" she shrugged, turning away from him again to lead.

"I had it under control, okay?!" he defended with a huff, trying to chalk up his manly pride.

"What good is-," Heart stuttered to a stop and nearly jumped out of her skin when they were hailed with bullets in a flash of a moment. She darted back behind the boulder Hige had plastered himself to previously, jerking a stunned young man with her. Hige flopped to the ground, struggling to press his back against he rock like Heart was. Her pistol already drawn and held at the ready.

"You think that little thing is going to do any good against THOSE??" Hige yelped, covering his ears.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Heart growled in frustration as she was blocked from shooting by the sheer number of bullets the bastards were shooting at them, "This is OVERKILL!"

"So I'm right, we're going to die, right?" Hige whined, "Look, Heart?" he looked to her until the annoyed red-eyed female turned her eyes to his pleading ones.

"What." She didn't feel like playing around with him right now…. There's bullets out there that were not letting her shot them back and she was annoyed.

"Forgive me, but if we die, I will die happy-," no sooner that he said that, he leaned in and tried to steal a kiss from her lips that put Angelina Jolie to shame, but he was blocked with the firing end of her pistol pressed against his forehead while he still puckered his confused lips.

"Die disappointed." She deadpanned, "I can't shoot them, but I CAN shoot you. Remember that." She glared pointedly for emphasis.

"Ok." He stayed frozen where he was.

"You will never try that again." She warned.

"I will never try that again." He repeated with a nod, holding up his hands in surrender, "Can you put the gun down now?"

Heart took her gun away, but kept a wary eye on him with a shake of her head, "Why do I get stuck with the horny pervert." She sighed.

"I'm not a pervert!" Hige protested in defense. He was truthfully an honest enough guy! He just had a weakness called WOMEN!

"So then, you're horny?" Heart prodded with a straight face.

"You know what I meant woman! Stop making me the dumb-ass pervert all the time!"

"Do you realize, you're both bickering as if you weren't just being pummeled by machine guns nearly on all sides and should have died by now?" Tsume's voice mused from above them. Heart and Hige looked up to see the grey wolf's human form squatting atop the boulder they were hiding behind, resting his arms on his bent knees and looking down his nose at them with ill interest in the conversation, "If you're through…" he stood up.

"What? Jealous?" Heart snorted as she stuttered out from behind the boulder as if what just happened never was.

"Do you not know the definition of heart attack?!" Hige panted with a hand over his chest. Tsume's sudden appearance had startled him greatly.

Tsume ignored him and leered at Heart as he hopped down in front of her, "You can only dream that I'd be jealous of your royal bitch-ness." He snorted.

"I don't find that insulting some how." Heart lied, but hid it well while she sheathed her gun, having finished looking it over and subtly cleaning it.

"Come on," Tsume nodded his head back towards the caves as he started walking back towards them, seeing that his business was done here and he had collected his two misfit comrades from danger, "I took care of all the grunts down here, but we need to get back to Kiba. The Moon knows we're going to have to save his sorry ass again since they seem to be after Cheza. A few even ignored me killing off their men to get into the caves." The leather-clad man walked on as if he had no doubt the other two would follow him back to the hellhole where all the 'grunts' were going.

"We're going back?" Hige yelped.

He was met with silence. Heart had followed Tsume's lead even though she had been hurt by Tsume's barb before. She didn't question him any further, and two left the shaggy haired boy, giving him silent backs instead of another explanation. Hige bristled at being ignored.

"HEY!!" he scampered off after them to catch up.

_._.V_V.^_^.O_O.0.o. _._.V_V.^_^.O_O.0.o._._.V_V.^_^.O_O.0.o.

"Kiba!" Toboe called from behind the small foursome group, "I think they're getting closer!"

"Just keep running!" he retorted over his shoulder as he gripped Cheza's hand in his and lead her along the tunnels, running as fast as he felt he could pull her with out hurting the maiden. On either of his flank were the human forms of Akira and Toboe. He could tell both were uneasy and frightened, being very new to the concept of being hunted down like this. Bullets had been chasing them from time to time and Kiba had to nearly bend over backwards to get his small group to safety after running into group after group of soldiers out on hot pursuit for them.

"K-Kiba," Cheza silent asked to a rest as she panted, only able to keep up because Kiba refused to let go of her tiny wrist.

In an instant, Kiba had the four of them duck into a small crevice well hidden along the wall, letting the three of them rest while he stood watch regally, "Take a breather. We can't waste too much time." He quipped in a business-like manor.

"Ho-How many tunnels are there here!" Toboe panted.

"This one never counted." Cheza admitted with a tilt of her head as she caught her breath.

Akira's orange eyes snapped down the tunnel, locked into the distance of it as if she heard something, "Kiba… what's that?"

Kiba turned his blue eyes from the opposite direction he was surveying to gaze calculating in the direction the young female was concerned with. He curled his lip upward, "Shit." He cursed, "That'll be them. Lets move!" he urged as he grasped Cheza's hand once more and tugged the exhausted flower maiden along. No sooner had he and Cheza fled the small crevice were they hailed with bullets gain. Toboe managed to escape the hole with out being caught in the fire, but Akira wasn't so lucky. She was forced to hide once more, unable to get away from the onslaught

"Akira!" Toboe called, but Kiba kept them moving, "Kiba, we can't leave her!"

"I know." Kiba's heart raced as his stomach felt like it dropped out of his body with anxiety that swelled inside him. His blue eyes were unable to stop looking over his shoulder, trying to spy long red hair flying behind the woman known as Akira who should have escaped by now.

He wasn't disappointed after a few precautious moments. Akira ducked out of the crevice in a split second of cease-fire, the soldiers having thought they'd gotten her. She bolted after Kiba and the others, skirting just out of range from the bullets, but it was a close one. Kiba knew she as slower than the rest, so he slowed the pace only a fraction to help her along.

"Hurry, Akira!" he called.

"Don't fret! Keep running!" she demanded right back with a strong voice that surprised Kiba. He expected her to be traumatized, but she was certainly becoming the little trooper!

"Akira, you're bleeding!" Toboe's gasp had Kiba sliding to a stop and turning on them. Cheza worriedly yanked away from Kiba's grasp and rushed over to Akira.

"I'm fine, one of the bullets just nicked me is all." Akira hissed when Cheza's cool hand touched the wounded jean-clad thigh. Kiba smelt too much blood for it to be just a knick as she called it, but before he could say anything, they were hailed by bullets from the front this time. They were being surrounded!

This time, it wasn't but a few soldiers- only a platoon had found them, and not even a complete one. Kiba ducked away from the bullets, estimating from what he sensed to be only about five or six men had found them. He was about to attack when Cheza screamed in terror. One of the soldiers had snuck up closer to them and was reaching out for Akira. Kiba jerked her out of the way, morphing to wolf form in a blink of an eye and attacking the sorry soul that dared try to take his flower from him. The white wolf didn't hesitate to lunge at the man, shoving him down to the ground and sinking his fangs into his jugular, crushing it as if he were biting into an apple and releasing him before he hit the ground, jolting and spasming a few times before he died. Kiba turned to the other five men with a snarl of warning, shocking the men at his sudden transformation. He'd have to kill these men to keep the secrete of wolves transforming into humans safe, but with how they were hunting the pack, he didn't feel any guilt. Not that he would feel guilty in the first place for attacking humans.

"Get Cheza out of here!" he ordered.

"I'll cover you." Toboe nodded to Akira, who gently took Cheza's hand in her own. Cheza gripped the familiar hand back in response, terrified by what she sensed going on around her. She willingly followed the red-head as she fled from the others, leaving the sounds of dying men and snarling wolves behind her while clenching her eyes shut. The pain in her thigh evolved from throbbing to stabs of intense pain from the bullet lodged into her flesh. Her leg felt heavy while the blood drained from her body, but the adrenaline pumping in her refused to let her fall short in her escape. She refused to let these men take Cheza!

"Come on Cheza! There's another tunnel this way!" she tugged the flower along, ignoring her wound until she was sure Cheza was safe.

The two of them ran as fast as they were able to, satisfied that silence befell them and they were no longer in the presence of overwhelming screams and the scent of blood, but then, fate became cruel to them.

"It's…" Akira gulped as she slowed to a stop, "We've hit a dead end!" she fisted her hand in her bangs, tugging lightly in frustration with her untrained instincts, "Oh, Cheza, I'm so sorry!" she apologized turning to the flower maiden who panted, but shook her head.

"No, Akira. All is fine." The flower reassured.

"But now we're open for atta-,"

"Found you!" a man shouted in victory as he brandished his gun at them. Cheza jumped startled, hugging Akira and hiding her face in her protector's chest while Akira tried to hide her fear with a glare that must not have worked, since the soldier laughed mockingly at them.

"No where to run anymore girlies!" he smirked, taking his time to approach them with his gun at the ready, "I'll be taking the flower now, and the reward promised to the soldier that retrieves her." He grinned at Akira, "Oh, and your pretty body is mine too, chicky." He reached out and grasped Cheza's shoulder, snapping Akira out of her frozen state. Her head throbbed with a dull pain as her eyes saw red and flashed dangerously while her fangs grew sharp with a growl escaping her throat. Before the man could even think to defend himself, he was pounced on the chest and held down by a small red wolf with pearly white fangs brandished in his face. He was about to scream in surprise, but the cold rock of the floor came in sharp contact with his head, knocking the man out. Akira stayed on his chest, tilting her head confused that he was suddenly unconscious, but quickly abandoning the body to return to Cheza.

Cheza had fallen to her knees, hiding her face in her hands now, not wanting to sense anymore of this nightmare as she silently sobbed, "This one does not understand why they are attacking her friends like this!"

"Cheza," Akira whined as she nuzzled her muzzle against the flower maidens hair, "Cheza, are you hurt?"

"N-No." Cheza shook her head as she looked up at the red wolf with misty ruby eyes that suddenly widened in fear, "AKIRA!" she yelped.

The man stabbed Akira in the lower back with one of his boot knives, "I'm not dead yet, bitch!" he grunted as the wolf shoved him away. Akira's flailing body dislodged the embedded knife as she struggled to keep her focus through the pain. Her instincts spoke to her louder than they ever had, '_kill it._' They demanded, '_Kill this pest that dares harm me and threatens the holy flower!'_ she saw no reason to reject the desire as the haze of red blinded her sight to a red tint and her head throbbed in a dull pain that only fueled the primal rage. She charged the man, pinning him down once more and ripping out his throat. Her small fangs were unable to grasp around his throat with a strong enough hold, so she found herself clawing and ripping at him with her teeth and paws to completely tear him to pieces. All the while, the strange voice in her head goaded her with cackling satisfaction. The pain in her head intensified to the point that the blood splattering all over her didn't bother her, and the silenced screams of the man beneath her never reached her even when he had made noise. She was lost in the red sight and the pain in her head that quickly had her fainting just as quickly as the red haze had taken over and she had killed the man.

The darkness briefly welcomed her, but it was only just as fleeting at the rest of this strange encounter…

"Akira!" Cheza gasped above her, startling Akira to consciousness, "This one was so worried! Your aura flared and turned red and dangerous just now, but you somehow pulled it back under control. You're in pain, this one will heal you now." Cheza gently insisted that the wolf lay back down on her side with the knife wound and the imbedded bullet on the upside.

"But the soldiers are-,"

"None are present. We are safe for now." Cheza insisted as she stroked her cool hands through Akira's bloodied fur, seeking the wounds of Akira's skin and sending strange electric tingles through Akira. The she wolf jerked away in surprise, but regretted it with a pained yelp.

"Please, relax." Cheza asked with an almost pained expression marring her usually serene face, "I will take away this pain, but you must accept this one's touch first."

Akira willed herself to relax while the flower maiden ran her hands through her fur once more. Soon as she came into contact with Akira's wounds, Akira hissed and snapped her jaw shut so she didn't snarl at the flower in her pain, but she was surprised that she felt heat radiate out from her wounds. With in moments, she felt none of the intense pain in her back or her thigh. She looked down at her fur to see the blood gone as well. She turned confused orange eyes up to Cheza, but the flower still frowned down at her.

"This one is only able to heal them this much. There are still a few scars this one is unable to heal completely." She said with a sad face as she sat back on her heels.

"No, Cheza." Akira shook her head, placing her paw on Cheza's leg thankfully, "You've done more than enough. Thanks to you, I am healed. I am not ashamed of any scars."

Akira traced her hands in the thick fur, gently following the lines of the scarred skin beneath that the fur covered after many years of being healed over, "This one can feel the dull aches you must have felt when you received these." Cheza leaned down to rest her cheek in the red thick fur, hugging the canine comfortingly as she stroked Akira's fur as if she wanted to soothe away the old pain that no longer bothered Akira, "This one asks for your forgiveness."

"None of this is your fault." Akira reassured, nuzzling her face into the flower maidens side, "Don't take credit for pain you did not receive or deal out."

Cheza pulled away, nodding with a sad smile, "This one will try." She affirmed. Her hands stroked the fur on Akira's side and the wolf rolled on her back with out even thinking, sighing heavily in heavenly ecstasy, "You feel well?" Cheza smiled.

"How the hell do you do that?" Akira whined like a preening pup while Cheza giggled and rubbed the wolf's belly. In a way, it eased the tension the two felt and helped them relax from the distressing situation they were in. Akira wiggled around like a spoilt puppy while Cheza laughed and giggled at her happy expressions.

'_It never felt this good when the humans stroked my fur at the keep…'_ Akira moaned lowly in her canine form.

"A…Akira?" Akira froze, snapping her orange eyes open and staring upside down at Kiba's human form who stared back with bewildered blue eyes.

"Kiba!" she gasped with a deer-in-the-headlights look.

"What are you doing?" he cocked a brow. Soon as those words left his mouth, Akira was horrified to see not only Toboe catching up to his side, but Heart, Hige and Tsume as well. All of which had different varies of strange expressions on their face.

"Once a pet, always a pet, I guess." Tsume rolled his eyes, "Not exactly the smartest thing to do when we're being hunted, wench."

Akira bolted upright, shifting to her human form, "Cheza was just healing one of my wounds." Akira explained with a dark red face full of embarrassment.

"If she was healing you, what's with the scars?" Tsume retorted, nodding to the torn sleeves of Akira's shirt that exposed scars that were a few shades darker than the rest of her peachy skin.

"Uh…" Akira blushed darkly, looking away.

Hige took in their surroundings and grimaced, "Great! Now look what your 'instincts' did for us, Kiba: NOTHING! We're in a dead end with no escaping them! We can't go around them either! They're sure to kill us!"

Kiba was about to snap back at the other wolf when Cheza called to them near an opening in the tree-root-like wall, "This way." She called.

"Where the hell….?" Tsume let that comment linger, knowing no one knew the answer.

"Who cares! It's better than dying here!" Heart was quick to spring in to action and darted for the tunnel Cheza had already started down with Akira at the Flower Maidens heels and Kiba not far behind them.

_._.V_V.^_^.O_O.0.o. _._.V_V.^_^.O_O.0.o._._.V_V.^_^.O_O.0.o.

"All clear, sir." A soldier reported to his commander with a stiff salute, "They seemed to have moved on, but we found the last traces in this room."

"It's like they disappeared or something…" another one muttered.

The commander and three other higher ranked soldiers walked in. between them for her own protection, was Dr. Cher Degray. The blond haired woman looked around, just as confused as the rest of them that the entire cavern was empty, but all scanners and scouts had reported them in her not even ten minutes ago.

"Where the hell did they go?" the commander looked down at his beeping tracking device that was locked onto the moving bodies that weren't his men, but the damn machine was useless as the screen fizzled and seemed confused. There were no signs of their prey anywhere.

"Fuck." The lieutenant cursed, throwing his helmet to the ground, "They're PLAYING with us!"

"There's a lady, present, Lieutenant." The commander reminded with a dry look, glancing back to Dr. Degray.

"Spare me." Cher rolled her eyes as she set about to investigate on her own for signs of Cheza.

"Sir! This guy's still alive! He's even unharmed too!" another random soldier called from where he helped his fallen comrade sit up. The back of the man's head was bloodied, but from the looks of it, he fell back and hit the rocky ground harshly.

The commander walked over to the shocked man and looked down at him while the poor guy caught his breath from being startled to consciousness, "What'd you see soldier?"

"A red…… dog….. No it was a wolf! A wolf the color of red blood and eyes orange like the hounds of hell! I thought it was gonna rip me to shreds after I shot at it!" the man gasped for breath, shivering in horror, "It protected the white girl we're looking for. Almost as if it were protecting one of its own!"

"Are you saying that the girl we're looking for is really… a wolf?" the lieutenant blinked in confusion.

"'Course not, dumbass." The commander rolled his eyes, "Those beasts are extinct. What you say, soldier was a red dog, and what you shot was a red dog."

Cher jumped on that information, "You shot a red dog?!"

"I think I only grazed its leg, but it was sure mad!" the man replied with a shaky nod.

"You fool! You shot one of our own specimens! If we get Cheza back we need to retrieve Red too." Cher snapped.

"You mean that pup that was always hanging around the keep?" the Commander asked surprised, "what's she doing with a bunch of kids?"

"I don't think those were…. Kids." Cher said quietly.

_._.V_V.^_^.O_O.0.o. _._.V_V.^_^.O_O.0.o._._.V_V.^_^.O_O.0.o.

Silver fur gleamed underneath the florescent lights while white fangs were bared in threat. The sterling silver around his neck seemed nearly invisible against his own silver fur that rivaled the metallic color while green eyes bore a threat to the small group of humans that tried to cow him into submission. The crucifix dangling from his chain rested against the floor as his body slowly gave out against the powerful scent of true silver they flooded into the room and the alchemic spell that was set into motion by the strange symbols written in blood surrounding him did not allow him to move his legs. With small bursts of strength, Jasper snapped and snarled at them as they drew closer, ignoring his futile attempts to maul them as they used unforgiving utensils poking and prodding him; some hair here, a blood sample there and a more silver-fused gas being drawn into his lungs. Not enough to kill a wolf, but enough to weaken him. He wasn't going anywhere until they seemed to finish with him. The young captive wolf snarled against them, pinning back his ears as they seemed to back off. He had to struggle a bit, but he was able to revert to human form, his nearly platinum-dirty blond hair fell into his neon green eyes that glared up at them while he panted for breath. They had captured him as a human and stripped him of his clothes before he'd turned wolf to rebel against them, but now, he didn't care that his every inch of his bronze skin was bare to them.

"If you don't release me now, I'll kill each and every one of you!" he threatened, but was ignored. He snarled in frustration, "Just what the hell do any of you want with me?!"

"So good of you to awaken," Jasper gritted his teeth as his neon eyes locked onto the noble that assaulted his nostrils with the foul spice all nobles had. The thing was, though… this one had the musk of wolf to him. Jasper tensed as the tall, dark noble walked in calmly while his underlings bowed and backed away. His black robes covered him from the neck down and his shoulder-length straight blue black hair hardly moved in his wake. He had one dark blue eye visible while the other, left eye, was hidden under a black eye patch. Just looking at him made Jaspers instincts scream at him to either run or kill this man.

"What do you want me for? I haven't attacked any stupid village or anything!" the naked young man spat at the noble's feet, "And can you get me some clothes? I hear the drafts not good for you." He snorted haughtily, keeping his daring eyes locked on the nobles visible one.

The dark noble nodded to one of his henchmen, who went to quick work at finding Jasper some clothing and then a few of them approached the snarling man, attempting to dress him, "You have done nothing wrong, wolf, but I'm afraid that your life is now mine to control since it is needed for something far more grand than you can ever imagine." The man stopped the wolf from protesting by holding up a hand, "No, your life isn't threatened so be calm."

"Depends on what you need me for, I might just take my own life to save myself the shame." The Jasper retorted. His green eyes rolled sarcastically at the pompous lord.

"You're aware of the cursed wolf eye of the nobles, yes?" the deep-voiced noble stepped forward after the henchmen were finished dressing Jasper. The young man was now clothed in billowy white pants and a gaping open sleeved shirt. 

"If I am, so what? You wanna ask a wolf how to cure it or something?" the wolf snorted, "What's with your taste in clothes anyways?" he complained.

"I want to promote it. I need it to work faster, and you're going to help me do that." Darcia smiled widely insane, "I will bind your wolf-soul to mine. And you will become a familiar to me."

The characters around Jasper sparked to life and he was forced into wolf form. The silver wolf roared to life, struggling to get away as pain erupted in his chest, "LET ME GO!" he demanded, "RELEASE ME!"

The sound of a small drill like tool alerted the wolf as well as the tight muzzle placed over his snout to hold his head still and teeth away. He was tied tightly to the stone cold ground as the humans dressed in white lab coats crowded about him, "We must take part of your bone and blood while your still conscious for the spell to bind you to Lord Darcia…"

Screams of terror echoed the halls of the keep as blood spilled that night and the freedom of a once free wolf was shattered and tethered to a darkened soul of a noble.

_._.V_V.^_^.O_O.0.o. _._.V_V.^_^.O_O.0.o._._.V_V.^_^.O_O.0.o.

"NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE!!" Akira screamed as she gasped to consciousness. Her headshot up from resting on her front paws, jaw hanging down panting as her orange eyes dilated to clarity and blurriness. She took a quick look around, searching for the man with the eye patch and dressed in dark robes that haunted her dreams, but found the others staring oddly back at her. She gawked in shocked embarrassment- she'd woken them up in the middle of the night, all of them had reverted to wolf form to keep out the cold chill of the night and had taken up residence in a thicket that was curved to the side of a large rock formation, keeping them safe from the harsh winter winds. Toboe curled up close to her side, tilting his head worriedly at her with his sleep-groggy eyes while Kiba slept pressing his back to hers for warmth with Cheza resting her head on his stomach like a fury pillow. Hige lay in front of her, huddling against Toboe for warmth while Heart and Tsume lay on either side of the three-wolf one flower huddle. All eyes and ears were focused solely on Akira who leaned away slightly while she caught her breath and calmed down.

"Akira, are you okay?" Toboe whimpered with his ears folding down in worry.

"Just a nightmare. I'm fine" Akira nodded slightly disheveled. She pressed a palm to her forehead, slightly disturbed that her hand was chilled to the touch.

"I've never seen anyone scream out loud for someone like that while they slept." Hige remarked with a slight worried tilt of his head, "You sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I…," she paused for a moment, taking her faraway gaze from the distance to rest on Hige, "What did I scream out for exactly?" Akira blushed, turning away from his eyes soon as she met them and chose to look at the thick grass beneath her front paws while her black tipped ears were trained for his answer.

"You were crying out for someone to stay away." Heart said softly, lowering her head to her own paws as she started to relax once more.

"You were also calling out for Jazz in your sleep." Kiba added, but he didn't seem happy to mention the name she called out.

Akira turned to glance at him for a moment. The white wolf was resting with his head upright and golden eyes closed with the front of being nonchalant over Akira's nightmare, but the twitch in his fluffy tail gave him away when it would jerk slightly in an almost feline-way of showing irritation. His white downy ears were pinned back and his entire body seemed relaxed, but willing to pounce if the need arose. Akira wondered why Kiba seemed so bothered. Thus far, so long as he was nearby Cheza, he seemed on an almost high calm. Now he spat out her brother's name as if it were dirty. She wondered if he realized he was getting jealous over her BROTHER….

'_Why is he jealous in the first place?'_ Akira turned away from him with a confused thought and sighed heavily. She took comfort that they seemed to fall silent. Hopefully they wouldn't talk about her nightmare anymore and she could forget about it….

"Just what the hell were you dreaming about anyways?" Tsume's ill-planed question earned him a dark look from Heart across the pack. Her narrowed his eyes right back at her as if to say 'what the hell is your problem NOW?'.

"I… I didn't really see anything per say." She admitted softly, "I could see flashes and feel things in the dream. It felt like I could see Jasper's pained face. He was being hurt and chained down to something and he was screaming in pain. I could see everyone fading from me into a red mist and then I felt utter loneliness like everyone was fading away and leaving me." Akira shifted to hide her face from the others while her bushy tail curled tighter around her body.

"That sounds like a pretty hard core dream you had." Hige sympathized, for once being somewhat caring, "But you're fine now with all of us. It was just a dream ok?"

"Yeah, Just because it was a scary dream, doesn't mean it'll come true right?" Toboe asked.

Akira couldn't answer, she hadn't thought about that, but now that she did, those fears in her dream were churning her stomach unpleasantly. What if they were wrong? What if her dream did come true??

'_Oh, Jazz…,'_ she whined softly at the thought.

"Let's hope not" Kiba answered for her and looked outside, "the wind has died down now, we should be able to make it to a city before the next wave hits us." The white wolf stood up and started to venture outside.

"I hope so. I don't fancy the idea of walking through a sand storm. The blizzard was enough." Heart sighed as she got up and walked out of the small thicket with the others following one by one. Cheza walked right beside Akira and put a literally calming had on the wolf's shoulder, letting her soothing power glow through her to ease the young wolfs nerves.

"It will all be alight. This one doesn't believe such things will come likely to Akira." She reassured.

"Thanks Cheza." Akira smiled back, but grimaced silently when she caught the tired looks of exhaustion from each of her new makeshift pack members.

Why was she having nightmares? Sure most of her family was probably gone now, but she made a mental effort to not think about it so she wouldn't become depressed and slow everyone down. Yet she messed up everyone's sleep by SCREAMING in her sleep with NIGHTMARES, of all things! She sighed in frustration. It was no wonder any of them thought of her as more of a pup than Toboe.

"Cheza." Kiba called. The flower maiden perked up at her protector's call, but looked back at Akira who lowered her ears warmly, trying to reassure the flower maiden.

"I'm fine now, Cheza. Go on to Kiba. I just need some space." Akira nodded.

With a sad frown, Cheza parted from her side, crossing between the protection of the wolf pack and taking her place at Kiba's side once more. Then, one by one, after Kiba's lead, the wolves started on their journey once again. Tsume gave Akira only a passing glance, but it didn't seem like he was trying to come off as cold to her. Hige was confused in how to react to her. He was worried and felt sorry, but didn't know how to comfort her or react, so the large brown wolf followed at Tsume's side. Heart lowered her head and turned away, knowing that nothing she said would pacify Akira's feelings in losing her family. Toboe watched his new friend just a little longer. His young heart confused and sympathetic with Akira, but since he had no mother he could remember, losing one, a father and a brother so close together was a foreign feeling to him, but it made him think of when he lost his granny, the old lady that took care of him. In that respect, the young rustic red wolf abided to Akira's wishes and followed after the rest of the pack with a small whine. Akira, herself, hung back a bit to let the others pass her, but kept pace in the rear of the 'pack'. Her red wolf black-tipped ears flopped to the sides of her head as the pain she had carefully buried deep inside started bubbling under the surface. Her guilt only made it worse when she realized just how useless and out of her element she was just tagging along with them. She couldn't do anything on her own. Someone else had to save her.

She fell off a cliff. Kiba caught her AND carried her.

Her mother died. They all took her in.

When the wolves of Zalis pack struck out at her for having such a different way of life and personality, Heart made it clear that she wouldn't stand for it and forced them to back off.

It seemed like everything she did was slowly dragging them down. One rescue after another.

It hurt to think of it that way, but with the current events; it was what Akira saw as the cruel and painful truth. She looked up to the moon while she walked after the others to see the silver moon tinted a light red-ish glow. Something in the back of her mind triggered a sharp pain soon as her orange eyes connected with the moon's image and she yelped in surprise and shook her head.

"Akira?" Toboe jerked to a stop sharply soon as the yelp left her muzzle. The young wolf's honey eyes were on her in an instant as he rushed to her, checking her over while his little nose twitched as if he could tell if her scent would say if she were hurt like Hige could. The others paused, staring back at her in alarm while the young wolf looked her over.

Akira's ears pinned back guiltily as she stepped back away from Toboe, '_Not again_!' she thought.

"N-NO! I'm fine!" she trotted up to them, "Just got a thorn in my paw."

Tsume snorted, "Start watching where you put your paws and maybe that wont happen." He turned and then started to walk again.

"Do you need this one to heal your paw for you?" Cheza offered worried, turning to approach Akira once again. Kiba looked over his shoulder trying to gage how long they would have until nightfall, but it looked to be that nightfall was already on its way.

"Cheza," he sighed with a shake of his head.

The exasperated sigh and the impatience in his stance struck Akira harshly on a level she didn't know Kiba could reach. Wincing she hastily made a to move forward, following Tsume's example and walking pass the worried Toboe, "No, no I'm fine, Cheza. It just pricked me." She declined with a plastered, grateful smile.

Just as she caught up to Heart's tail, the rest of the pack set into motion again, all of them felt the sudden tension spike up between them, but none were brave enough to challenge it. Toboe trotted to catch up to Akira's side, just behind Heart and tried his best to smile comfortingly while the red she-wolf seemed to find the ground more interesting than ever as they walked side by side.

"I'm sure you and I will get the hang of this woodsy life style soon, Akira. Just keep hanging in there and one day we'll be just as tough as the rest of the pack!" He reassured with a bright, tooth-filled smile on his wolf face.

Akira whined back in thanks, "Thank you Toboe." She decided to stick near the pup since she could tell Heart would have given her the third degree if she chose to walk alone again. Those red eyes narrowed worriedly over her shoulder, making sure to adjust her longer-legged stride to take slower steps so the pup and younger female were level with her long black tail at all times. Other than Heart's constant watch-over, Toboe's attempt at comfort and Chezas worried glances, the rest of the pack seemed to ignore Akira after that. The didn't even spare a glance back at her while they dutifully followed after Kiba leading them to their next shelter for the rest of the night.

'_Please let the dreams be just a hoax'_ Akira thought as she followed them with Toboe at her side chatting away to keep her company.

When Kiba finally did find a spot closer towards the human settlement he knew was near by, none of the wolves were able to fall asleep as they hunkered down for the night. The scent of the human city close by was alerting them too much with the obnoxious sounds and stenches.

"I told you before, Toboe, STOP WHIMPERING!" Hige snapped grumpily with a slight bristle to his fur in agitation.

"It's not MY fault! I can't get comfortable!" the pup snapped back, kicking his feet while he rolled over.

"WOULD YOU BOTH JUST SHUT UP?!" Tsume snarled, bearing his teeth, "I CAN'T GET A FUCKIN OUNCE OF SLEEP WITH YOU TWO YAPPING AWAY!"

"You're the one getting all huffed and puffed up about it, Tsume. You don't have to yell at them. Some of us are trying to sleep too." Heart growled back in warning from where she lay next to Toboe. The pack of six were huddled in a tight circle using each other's fur for warmth as they nestled against an ancient tree with roots the size of trucks to shield them from enemies.

"PISS OFF BITCH! I'M TIRED OF YOU HARPING AROUND LIKE YOU HAVE SOMETHING OVER ME!" Tsume bit back with a snap of irritation, "Just in case you didn't get the memo- YOU'RE NOT A HIGHER RANK THAN ME!"

Akira lifted her head from where she lay curled near Cheza while Kiba chose to ignore them all from where he lay on one of the thick roots just above Cheza and Akira. He was the only one not apart of the little 'huddle' between the roots because he was the elected lookout for the night. His ear twitched when he caught Akira's worried whimper and spied her curling closer to Cheza. He suddenly felt very irritated with the rest of the pack making all the noise.

"SOMEONES GOTTA KEEP YOU IN LINE WITH THAT TEMPER OF YOURS GOING OFF LIKE A TIME BOMB AT EVERY LITTLE DISPLEASURE THAT COMES YOUR WAY! YOU ACT MORE LIKE A BITCH THAN I DO!" Heart retorted with her lip curled slightly, revealing hints of her fangs in warning while she growled lowly.

"Wanna try that again, bitch?" Tsume made to get up threateningly as he leaned forward, shifting his weight to his paws.

Golden eyes locked on to red in a short-lived duel that ended in a draw since neither looked away nor backed down like a lower member of the pack would. This only served to infuriate each of them more. As their snarls increased drastically.

"Oh, please! Like you scare me, you 'Big-bad-wolf'." She snorted dismissively, "I've seen street dogs act tougher than you." She snorted, tearing her glare away from him and thrusting her nose in the air haughtily in the other direction.

"You didn't miss the bulls-eye by much with that one, there. Considering he used to run with street thugs." Hige put in his two-cents, giving Tsume a dry look out of the corner of his sleepy eyes.

"Wouldn't put it past him" Heart rolled her eyes in return with a huff.

"Why YOU…….!" Tsume lunged at Hige and tackled him to the ground roughly. Hige yelped in sudden surprised panic while the larger grey wolf wrestled him into a form of submission Hige seemed willing enough to show so long as it meant getting Tsume's snapping fangs away from his face.

"Ok, ok, ok, ALRIGHT!" Hige barked, "YOU PINNED ME NOW GET THE HELL OFF ME!"

"YOU DAMNED BASTARD!" Heart jolted to her feet and leapt into the fight, tackling Tsume off Hige by bulldozing him with her left shoulder with her thick skull. Tsume yelped in surprise that the smaller female had so much strength in her lithe body, but shoved his full weight right back at her, causing a strange form of a grappling war between the two pig-headed wolves that snarled at one another while they shoved their weight against one another.

"Heart!" Akira stood up in alarm, standing over Cheza.

"Tsume! Calm down you idiot!" Kiba snapped with a gravely snarl.

Tsume and Heart were about to whirl on one another for round two after they'd fallen away from one another when a gentle, soft voice lulled to their ears. Tsume started having trouble standing upright. As his knees started to give out and his body began to feel heavy.

"Damn it! What is …. This?" he strained, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"I think its … I think it's Cheza…," Heart suddenly yawned and collapsed to her side sound asleep. Followed by Hige suddenly rolling over on his stomach snoring.

"Soooo….. Sleepy." Toboe nodded off while he cuddled up to Hige's fluffy fur.

Kiba relaxed so much that he lost his balance on the root and ended up falling half on top an already sound asleep Akira who didn't even flinch when the white wolf plopped on top of her back proceeded to just roll off her and use her curled body as a head rest for his own sleepy head and molded his body to her back.

Tsume tried to resist his body's collapse, but ended up on his stomach with his nose close to Hearts while they all drifted off. The largest wolf of the bunch also seemed to snore the loudest as well, making the flower giggle softly.

Cheza smiled as she slowly stopped singing and started to pet each of the wolves while the night was peacefully slept away.

_**A/N- there you have it! 30 pages of changes (sighs with relief) you have no idea how hard it was to get this chapter redone with a ll the college projects floating around! Whoo-boy!**_

_**Anyways, I TURNED 20!! WHOOT! Lullaby For a Stormy Night has been apart of my life for near five years now! OMG!!**_

_**OH- I DREW HEART AND AKIRA!!! ON MY OWN!!! ITS ON MY DEVIANT ART PAGE!! THE LINK IS ON MY PROFILE AT THE TOP!! YAYS!!**_

_**Look how far it's come! Almost 1000 reviews, which is my goal YESH!!**_

_**Review Responses:**_

**KillerHotFeline:** _Le-gasp! How did you know! Lol! The pics I found already edited, and I ended up finding another one that fit Diya better!! Check out the new DeviantArt page and you might find some new surprises! _

**PussycatLover:**_ Ialways see both you and KillerHotFeline's reviews side by side and it makes me laugh, thinking you two seem like sisters ^_^ Sorry I caused you to be bored for so long (probably longer than four weeks, sorry!) but I tried to make it up to you with the little nude scene of Jasper (evil laugh) did you like that mental picture? Hahah! I love Jasper too! He's so fun to write and he's getting to be more fun! _

**Venom: **_You wanted Action? How'd you like the small snippet of what's to come in the action? (grins)_

**Wolfsbane: **_Yeah, I didn't like Diyas look either, so I changed it ^_^ hehehe! I changed the scene with the pups because I dunno… it seemed to fit better that way?? _

**Carnage:**_ Aww, I kinda feel bad that I made you cry over that scene, but its awesome that I seem to be getting better at this whole 'tug on the emotion' writing thing. Hehehe! Hope you liked this chapter!_

**Amber:**_ Hehe, yes, Kiba was getting WAAAY too excited, but now he's acting like a cold jerk, but that's just the way Kiba is…. Hot and then cold, yes and then no, in and your out, he's up and he's down… 0.0 ooooh no….. not that song. EEEK!_

**Canis simensis:**_ Oooh (big eyes) that's an awesome meaning! It makes the name look so much more mysterious and cool! I'm happy I could live up to expectations! _

**Bleach1fan: **_After I read your nickname on the reviews, I had the sudden urge to go watch bleach…. XDD now I 3 bleach even more than before!! (though Aizen still makes me want to go hide every baby in sight so he dosnt steal it…) Yup, I'm excited about these edits because I get to have Kiba react so much more awkward than before! Yays!_


	8. Chapter 7 Blood Moon

_Here's the day you hoped would never come  
Don't feed me violence, just run with me  
Through rows of speeding cars  
The paper cuts, the cheating lovers  
The coffee's never strong enough  
I know you think it's more than just bad luck_

There, there, baby  
It's just text book stuff  
It's in the ABC of growing up  
Now, now, darlin'  
Oh don't lose your head  
'Cause none of us were angels  
And you know I love you, yeah

_**Imogen Heap- Speeding Cars**_

Chapter 7 Blood Moon

"Oooo," Akira awed with unhindered curiosity as she crouched low to the merchant's towel on the ground that displayed his works of craftsmanship for sale. She looked over each wooden character with avid interest, wondering how he was able to put in the tiny delicate details to each one to make them each unique though each were some form of flower, human or animal, "These are AMAZING Mister!" she praised with a bright smile.

The old man dressed in ragged layers of clothing grinned back from where he sat cross-legged behind the towel, pleased that she took note of his work, "You like'em eh?" he chuckled at Akira's wide expressions of wonderment, "I made'em myself from the trees of the forest that fell down during last years storm."

Akira gently picked up a small wooden wolf that had its back arched as if it were howling while it sat down, "These are so beautiful!" her orange eyes followed the way her small fingers traced the contours of the wooden figure, taking deep appreciation at how accurate the artisan put into the small wolf in the palm of her hand.

"You gonna buy that one, missy?" the old man winked at her, "I peg you as a wolf-girl if I ever saw one."

"Eh?" Akira froze. What did he mean by 'wolf-girl'? Did she slip up and show him her wolf form? She looked down- no, still human and still decked in bloody-torn clothing. She sighed with relief, then grimaced. Oh right, she need clothing, not cool trinkets.

"Akira." Kiba gently tugged on her shoulder as he came up from behind her. His blue eyes took note of the small wolf figurine and old man that sat on the dirty street against the patched up dry-wall behind him, "We need to get going. You still need better clothing." With that said, Kiba turned and started on his way through the crowded streets, expecting her to follow.

"Wai-Wait up KIBA!" Akira yelped with a light blush. She turned back to the man with an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, Mister, but I don't have money on me, and my… er friend wants to keep moving." She started to put the wolf back in its spot on the towel, but the old man scooped up the figurine and dropped it in a tiny red-velvet pouch that wasn't even as big as the crucifix pendent on Akira's chain. He then held it out to Akira with a gentle smile.

"Travelers, I see." He nodded, taking Akira's hand and placing the pouch in it, then curling her fingers around it, "Then it's best if you take this totem with you."

"Totem?" Akira blinked confused, unable to deny the gift the old man was bestowing her with.

"Yes, a totem is a small outlet for the spirits that take on the form carved into the wood to resonate in and protect the person who carries it with in his or her possession." The old man replied nodding his head towards the pouch, "The Totem of the great wolf is commonly mistaken as the totem of evil, but it in fact is the totem that watches over travelers on a grand journey."

Akira gapped in awe, casting her eyes from the smiling old man to the pouch in her hand, "Totem…. Of the Wolf?"

"AKIRA!" Kiba called, jarring her out of her thoughts with a jerk of surprise, making the old man grin widely. His aged wrinkled face creased with a knowing smile as he watched the young redheaded woman bow respectfully to him, thanking him for the gift and then scramble off after her companion.

"Ahh.. To be young." The old man sighed listlessly.

Once Akira caught up to Kiba's s side, her orange eyes were everywhere! She had been like this since the pack split up that morning into groups of two to find something useful for the pack, but Kiba thought she would have gotten used to the town activity by now. She seemed to want to watch everything and speak to everyone, suddenly disappearing from the protection of his side and giving him a heart attack, until he spots her chatting it up with a random street-urchin. She took in the world around her with as much wonder and awe as a child let out for the first time on its own. In Freeze City, she rarely was allowed to leave the confines of the Keep unless Jasper or one of the other members of her small family was with her. She never took notice of the streets of Freeze City mainly because she and Jasper were too caught up in a game they were playing, but now she couldn't seem to stop watching! There was so much commotion here she wondered why Kiba wasn't rubber necking like she was.

He only seemed interested in the roofs of the buildings for some reason, and he kept that serious look on his face when he looked up to them, as if he thought they would come down and attack Akira and himself at any moment. He didn't pay attention to the people all around them that bumped into them on accident or rushed by them, carrying heavy packages, or made way through the crowds for their beasts of burden that carried their goods. He didn't see the people haggling with merchants as they tried to lower the prices of the goods they sought to buy, or the people who called out sale deals to those who passed by. Children scrambled underneath the current of the crowds in their play, dodging the 'mean old people' that chased them off and the parents who tried to herd their offspring to somewhere safer. There was something going on to the right, to the left, from behind, EVERWHERE she looked there was something interesting to behold and Akira intended on leaving NOTHING out! She twisted this way and that in effort to catch everything she could, giggling with the children that nearly ran face first into her as they dodged pass her and Kiba. Kiba couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth at the sight of her delighted elation with the town's liveliness.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Soon as her eyes snapped up to him, he turned his own blue ones back to looking ahead, avoiding her so she didn't catch on that he had been watching her every move.

"Watching." She replied, not taking her attention off of her surroundings with avid attention Kiba never saw before.

"Watching what?"

Akira turned to him with a playful smile, "Everything of course!"

"Haven't you seen it all before? You're acting like it's a new world to you." He looked around him, scanning silently through the humans that were shoulder to shoulder with them as if he were trying to detect any kind of threat among them, "It's not this crowded back at that Freeze City dome, but they still have the same general life-style."

"No." Akira shook her head, looking down for a moment to hide behind her bangs embarrassed, "Actually, it truly is the first time for me to be around so much activity amongst humans."

"Didn't you live in Freeze City?" he tilted his head towards her, keeping their surroundings in his general view, but also letting his attention settle on her as well.

"I did, but I rarely ever left the Keep, unless I had one of the family as an escort when they weren't working on shift." She slumped, "I hated being kept indoors, but Cheza was there, so it wasn't all that boring. She used to sing to me when I couldn't sleep well at night and my step mother was out on patrol with father and older brother."

Kiba didn't comment after that. She shrugged thinking he just decided to drop conversation, and continued to look around, "So what are we looking for?"

"Clothes." He replied simply.

"Clothing?" Akira tilted her head, "I thought we all came her for food?"

"That's what Hige and Toboe are for. We are here to get you out of the blood stained clothing before it attracts unwanted attention." Kiba sighed, noticing the strange looks the bloodstained Akira was getting. Even her hair and skin were still slightly rumpled from the blood, dirt and grim still in them that the short bath in the cool pool of water he'd 'accidentally' spied her in earlier didn't wash off.

"What kinds of clothes should I look for?" Akira tried to uphold a conversation while Kiba seemed intent on continuing with the comforting silence, thinking the crowds of humans were making more than enough noise as it was.

"Female clothing." He replied in short.

Akira puffed up in mock-retort, "And if I want male clothing instead? What if I like dressing like a boy?" she challenged, trying to keep him talking.

"Then you will be mistaken as a boy." Kiba grinned down at her slightly before looking away, "As it stands now, the hair is the only thing in this form that hints you being female." He teased.

Akira gasped, "Was that a joke, Kiba?" she grinned back, then realized what he said, "HEY! I AM TOO NOTICIABLY A GIRL! TAKE THAT BACK YOU JERK!" she backhanded him on the chest, but to Kiba it was little more than a pat. It still made him bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at her.

"Excuse me," a young woman approached the twosome, "Did I just hear that this young lady needs some clothing?" she nodded to Akira who was on the other side of Kiba. The young man quickly assessed the woman and looked behind her to her small shop between two buildings she'd setup. From all the woolen clothing that were uniquely stitched and designed, he quickly deduced this particular merchant was a seamstress. He then nodded to the woman solemnly.

"Yes. She does." He replied.

The woman grinned, tucking her straw-colored blond hair back into her shawl that covered her head, "Right this way. I make clothing just for young brides like yours!"

"Oh I'm not hi-," Akira flustered about, but Kiba cut in.

"She's just a friend." He corrected, following the woman back to her small makeshift shop. Akira was left with her mouth slightly open in the crowded streets for a moment. Her orange eyes stuck to Kiba's back in confusion.

Why did those words hurt so much?

"Akira." He called.

Akira shook her head to dispel the thoughts and quickly wove her way to the side of the crowded streets with the seamstress's shop, "Sorry." She mumbled once she caught up to Kiba again, finding her feet to be interesting while he glanced back at her and then to the clothes on display made of old crates and empty barrels turned upside down to act as tables. All the clothes were made of wool, cotton and alpaca. Just the right material needed to keep warm in a cooler climate like this town was nestled in.

"Let me know when you spot something you like." The woman held out a welcoming hand towards her creations with pride.

Akira looked to Kiba who nodded his confirmation down to her and then turned his attention back to the town, still scouting out the danger Akira doubted would be there. She shrugged and then looked to the clothes with curiosity. There were so many to choose from, Akira didn't know where to start. She knew her clothes as of now weren't enough to keep this form warm…

Her eyes landed on a chocolate brown woolen turtleneck with interest. That would certainly help through the chilly nights. She sought out the pants, hoping to find some kind of jeans. She was elated to find an older worn pair that she picked out.

"Those are previously used jeans by the way. I didn't make them, but you know how styles are these days." The woman shrugged with her warning.

"I prefer jeans, worn in or other wise." Akira assured. Now for the coat…

There were a few articles made of leather. Akira didn't know what kind of leather- cow or otherwise- but to the touch, it felt thick and hardy, but the material on the inside was soft and plush. Akira choose a light leather duster long-tail coat that reminded her of the western movies Cher's co-workers sometimes used to bring in for the night shifts.

She looked down at her worn boots and nodded. They were still good enough to keep around. She turned to the woman with her chosen bundle of clothing in her arms like a child that just picked out a toy from a toy-store.

"Good choices." The woman smiled, taking the clothing and looking over them, "Hmmm, I'll sell the whole bundle to ya for fifty." The woman thought up a nice price that seemed to suit her.

However, Kiba and Akira didn't carry human means of money. Akira looked to Kiba just as he tensed, catching movement on the rooftops, "Er… umm," Akira suddenly felt awkward. Kiba wasn't helping her out. He seemed interested in whatever it was on the roof. What was he doing? Bird watching?

"Don't have the dough?" the woman seemed slightly put off, "Don't tell me you two are street rats…" she crossed her arms over her generous chest with a hard glare marring her slightly wrinkled face.

"Well…. Uh…" Akira gulped. How do you tell a human that you're not exactly a rat, but a wolf?

Suddenly Kiba snapped into action. He snatched Akira's wrist in an iron grip and then swiped the bundle of clothes from the surprised woman, then took off into the crowded streets, disappearing before she could even utter a word of surprise. When the woman realized she'd been robed, she turned red, "OH HELL NO!" she hissed. She then raised her voice, commanding the attention of the men that were stationed stealthily on the roofs. The same men that Kiba had taken caution of, "ROBBED! I'VE BEEN ROBBED!"

"Kiba," Akira worriedly looked over her shoulder through the thick crowds back to the woman what squawked the alarm like a coo-coo clock, "Shouldn't we have paid her fairly?"

"You have money?" Kiba retorted as he kept low, urging her to do the same while they snaked through the crowds, nearly invisible to the guards up on the roofs, "Keep low will you. Do you wanna get caught?"

"Maybe she would have listened to our story and just given us the clothes?" Akira reasoned, "She seemed nice enough." Her orange eyes glanced over her shoulder where they'd left the middle-aged merchant worriedly.

"Akira, not everyone is as sympathetic as you are." Kiba sighed.

"But-,"

"Sshh!" he hissed back to her, yanking her in an alleyway with out warning, earning a surprised squeal from Akira.

"WHAT WAS THAT FO-," Kiba covered her mouth with his hand to keep her quiet and looked up at the rooftops with out moving. His blue eyes were cold as stone with the intensity of his awareness, but they drew Akira in like a moth to the flame. She followed his line of sight, her breath catching in her throat behind his hand when she spotted soldiers. Orange eyes widened in understanding while she pressed herself against the brick wall behind her, almost as if to try and blend in with it while Kiba kept his place firmly in front of her. Neither moved until the men passed overhead.

Eventually, Akira eased Kiba's hand away from her mouth while she heaved a sigh of relief, relaxing as soon as the soldiers were out of sight, but Kiba didn't relax until they were out of his range. Even then, he still didn't seem completely convinced that they were safe as he stepped back, not catching the bright pink of Akira's cheeks from the way he'd been pressing her against the wall to try and hide her.

"We're in the clear…" Kiba looked back to Akira with his usual stoic expression, "For now at least."

"R-Right." Akira nodded, trying to get control of her pounding heart. She yelped, startled, when Kiba tossed her the clothing they swiped, "Eek!" she struggled to catch all of the clothing with out letting any of the articles touch the ground.

"Put those on." Kiba said.

"Put them on?" Akira echoed, "What you mean… now?" she blinked at him, looking back and forth rapidly from him to the clothes in her arms with a growing blush that darkened on her cheeks and traveled down her neck.

Kiba arched a brow, finding amusement in her flustered state, but not understanding why she was getting so worked up about changing clothes in her human form, "Yes. Now would be the best time considering that we're being chased _now_. Change clothes so we don't have to carry them and we can shift freely with out people seeing 'dogs' with clothing in their mouths."

"B-B-B-B-B-But-," she stuttered, "I-I-In the o-o-open?" she looked around nervously, "What if s-s-s-someone s-s-s-sees me ch-ch-changing?"

"We're in an alley… and I'm blocking the entryway." Kiba retorted dryly giving her a dull look, "Look, I won't peak alright?" he turned his back to her, "And anyone who would have wanted to will have to go through me first to actually see you, but if you don't want the slight chance of that happening, I suggest you don't waste your time."

"R-Right." Akira nodded, quickly all but ripping off her bloodied coat and yanking off her old tattered clothing, hissing at the cold air as it attacked the suddenly exposed peach skin, "Oh my GOSH!" she gasped, gnashing her teeth together to keep them from chattering together, "It's FREEZING!"

Kiba ignored her. He kept a bored watch over the rest of the humans outside the alleyway who were none the wiser about the young woman changing just behind him. He bit the inside of his cheek, '_It would do me some good to be none the wiser as well.'_ He thought dryly. Fat chance in that happening, though. Even now, Kiba was tempted to 'hear' something behind him and 'glance' over his shoulder 'accidentally' catching a glimpse of the changing female behind him…. But this was Kiba we're talking about. He would never do that, because Kiba had more sense than someone like Hige.

Didn't mean it wasn't tempting as hell….

'_I'll kill Hige for being around me too much and speaking his mind….'_ Kiba rolled his eyes at his own thoughts, really, she wasn't even in HEAT or anything and he was already drooling over her like a primitive dog that just realized there's a female nearby.

He noticed a woman walking by dressed in very little, other than a long hooded cloak over her scantily clad body. Her face had way too much of that human abomination make-up stuff that their women (and some men) wore and the fragrance coming off her was enough to make a wolf want to hurl or kill the poor animal that was emanating that scent to do the world a favor and probably itself by putting it out of its misery. It was then that something struck him.

"Akira," he tilted his head slightly, again tempted to tilt it more to just catch a glimpse. He could hear the shifting of fabric behind him pause as Akira looked up at him.

"Yeah?"

"You don't need more underwear do you?" he asked in all honesty. If they were getting her better clothes, why not go all out. He was sure he could snag some underwear easily enough.

"N-N-N-No." Akira stuttered, almost falling down as her knees gave out a little in surprise, "I-I-I'm f-f-f-fine."

"If you say so." He turned back away from her, slightly disappointed, but had to catch himself once again from wondering about her body, '_For the love of the moon she is just a female…. a very interesting, alluring female… ah shit.'_ Leaving himself to his thoughts wasn't helping at all.

"You finished yet?" He grouched over his shoulder.

"Ye-Yeah." Akira called back, "But something's a bit wrong…"

"Like what?" Kiba turned around to see for himself and paused mid way soon as his blue eyes were able to behold her fully. The clothing she'd chosen weren't flashy or by any means revealing, but the turtleneck hugged her completely like a second skin and seemed to have been made for someone with a smaller…. Or actually probably made for someone with a flat chest. It didn't seem to be over stretching scandalously, but it did ride up on her belly, showing off the peach skin just beneath her belly button. The jeans seemed slightly baggy on her calves, but they were stretched across her thighs while the bottoms of the jeans overlapped her boots. The duster jacket was a size too big and the sleeves were long enough that they hid her small hands. Kiba felt his mouth go dry.

"Kiba?" Akira leaned forward worried. He just spaced out suddenly and his blue eyes had lost the intense and became cloudy.

Kiba snapped out of it, "Huh?"

"I was just saying that the shirt is a little short, but otherwise, I'm fine." Akira repeated with a crease in her brow of worry, "Hey, are you okay? You spaced out all the sudden. Is it really that bad?" she looked down at the sweater, "Should we go 'get' another one?"

"N-No." Kiba turned away, feeling his ears burn slightly, "We came here to scope out the city for food and supplies, but I don't think it's safe for us anymore." He turned back to her long enough to reach out and take her hand in his, tugging her after him, "Come on, let's head back to the others and figure out if we can get around the city with out alarming the soldiers."

Akira no longer felt jarred when Kiba tugged her after him like this and easily feel into step behind him as he wove their way through the crowds. Eventually, he pulled them back out of the crowds and down the back streets, "I can't stand crowds…" Kiba grunted, pausing for a moment, letting go of her hand when he noticed Akira was panting. She had to work harder to keep up with him even though he was holding on to her hand because of their height difference. In comparison, she was only a slightly taller than Toboe who was a head and a half smaller than Kiba.

"Thanks." Akira panted slightly as she caught her breath, "It's really lively here."

"A little too lively, actually." Kiba grimaced, "Come." He turned again to lead her away. Akira sighed and was about to follow, but felt a cold chill dart up her spine, freezing her in place. She shivered and wrapped her arms about herself, looking around and noticing that there was no wind that could have caused her this sudden chill. She had the strange sense that someone was staring at her back and slowly, cautiously looked over her shoulder. At first, all she could see were the crowded streets that were beyond the back street she and Kiba had taken, but beyond them, she saw another alley way. A darker one. Her orange eyes landed on an old woman who was hunched over with age and had loose, pale wrinkly skin. She was draped in faded colorful cloaks with a thick hood that hid her face but let her pale waterfall of crimpled hair fall in waves about the front of her body. Akira could only see the woman's chin and pointy withered nose, but just that was enough to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end while a strange thickness prodded the air around Akira. She sensed a strange, curious aura coming from the woman that lulled over her and caressed about her, as if testing her out. It seemed to want to absorb her very being.

Spooked, Akira jerked away from the feeling like a startled horse and backed away towards Kiba, afraid to put her back to the woman again. She started backing away with wide eyes of bewilderment, "K-Kiba?" she whispered, looking over her shoulder. There wasn't a Kiba in sight, "KIBA! DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND!" she turned tail and bolted after her companion, "WAIT UP!"

The older woman watched silently through the thick waves of humans after the blood red hair that tossed in the young woman's wake while she fled like a startled doe. It was as if she had just found a white stag, and it awed the elderly woman to no end that she had actually been lucky enough to see it before her time on this earth was up, as it was fast approaching, "The time… has come…. It's begun." Her old hushed voice wheezed out of vocal chords that were seldom used and way beyond the years of healthy expiration date. She felt a slight breeze tousle the ends of her bleach-color hair and smiled with knurled lips, "The Lunar Flower is nearby as well. This is such a wonderful gift the Moon has bestowed me with before the end of my journey on this plane comes to be." And with that, the woman was gone. No one even batted an eyelash.

"This is the place!" Toboe stood at the back-alley cross roads looking around. There wasn't a human in sight, other than the distant crowd he could see down one of the alleyways that lead towards the main street, "At least I think it is…" he plopped down on his butt, waiting for one of the others to return while fiddling with the furry jacket in his arms, "Hmm, looks like I'm the first one here." He sighed. He hated being alone. He'd gotten used to always being around the others, it felt like a family to him to be traveling with the other wolves, especially now that they had Heart, Akira and Cheza with them. Toboe had never met any females of his kind, or even female dogs that were his size either. Granny lived nearby a young family with two kids and a female poodle, but Toboe hadn't liked Fluffy at all. She was a mean old bat.

He held up the thick brown furry vest-jacket with a grin, "Well it's not much, but I hope Cheza likes it alright!"

"Likes what?" Toboe's head shot up to Hige's voice while the larger boy strolled casually down the vacant alleyway with his hands shoved in the pockets of his hoody jacket. Under his arm were a pair of bright pink rubber boots that caught Toboe's eye, "What's that you got there?" Hige leaned down toward Toboe on the ground, "Didja catch dinner? Someone's cat or something?" he took a curious whiff while his mouth watered at the prospect of food, but he quickly snorted harshly and jerked away holding his nose with his free hand, "AGH! DAMN THAT STINKS!"

"No, you dummy!" Toboe clutched the vest closer to himself as he defended his gift to Cheza, "It's for Cheza, not food," he took a whiff, "And it doesn't stink."

"Does too!"

"You're nose is too sensitive. You think every thing stinks."

"Not girls or food" Hige defended.

Toboe gave him a dry look, "You're wired."

"What's weirder is that thing you're holding. What is it anyways?"

Toboe stifled a blush, "Well, you know, it's getting colder and I thought it would help Cheza keep warm."

"A flower? Toboe, getting cold has nothing to do with it. Besides, that thing is hideous." Hige smarted.

"Yeah, well what are THOSE for?" Toboe shot back.

"What- These?" Hige glanced down at the boots tucked under his arm sheepishly before huffing and thrusting his nose in the air haughtily, "Well… you know, I just didn't want Cheza to have to walk around on the cold hard ground with her delicate feet uncovered."

"A flower?" Toboe quoted dryly with a cock of his brow.

"For the love of the Moon!" Hige griped the bangs of his hair and tugged frustrated, "Whatev-,"

Both froze at the sound of shouting from above. Hige lift his nose to the air to take in the scent of the air, his brown eyes widening in confusion, "The hell?"

"What is it, Hige?" Toboe stood up and started backing away, keeping his honey eyes locked on the crowds that were starting to rile in confusion down the alley way towards main street, "What's going on?"

"I smell the same scent from the mountain… there's soldiers here!" Hige backed away, "They're getting closer, but I can't figure out how!" he looked up and all around them frantically.

"GET IT!"

"THIS WAY!"

"DON'T LET THAT THING GET AWAY! IT GOES STRAIGHT TO LADY JAGURA HERSELF!"

Hige and Toboe could only watch while a bright white wolf leapt down in front of them from the rooftops. Her eyes were similar to Cheza's in that they were a shade of red, but hers still retained the ability of sight and were more a pink color. Her ears and nose were also bright pink and her small paws were also as such… she was an albino wolf.

"A wolf!" Hige gawked.

"Hey, she's just like us!" Toboe pointed out the obvious as he jabbed his finger at the young female wolf who turned bright, terrified pink-red eyes on them. Her downy fluff of a tail raised high.

"What-," she ducked down before she was able to speak any more while bullets started to dart down in front of her.

Hige and Toboe quickly hid from the bullets, but tried to call out to the albino female, "HEY ARE YOU ALRIGHT!"

"I'm scared!" she called back in a whispery voice that rivaled Chezas. Her voice was more breathy out of fear than the whimsical way of Cheza's sweet voice.

Hige gritted his teeth, "THIS IS OVER KILL!" he snarled as he tried to peek out to see where the young female was. He was only able to spot the white albino she-wolf huddled behind the dumpster for a moment before he was forced to hide once more due to the bullets, "Damn it!"

"Hige, we gotta help her!" Toboe shook, wanting to help her, but too afraid to come out from hiding.

"I know," Hige nodded, bracing himself and thinking for the hundredth time that he was an idiot for trying this, "Stay here!" he bolted out from hiding.

"HIGE!" Toboe yelped, following after him. Both were able to doge the bullets in wolf form, startling the soldiers.

"IDIOT! I TOLD YOU TO STAY THERE!" Hige barked.

"There's more of them!" 

"Get those too!"

"Rodger!"

The white wolf perked up, hearing the soldiers. Her pink eyes spotting the males running for her and she pinned back her ears, "NO! GO BACK! RUNAWAY!" she stood, worry laced in her voice, "GET AWAY FROM HERE!"

Hige bared his fangs and charged the soldier closest to him, scaring the man when he realized that the formidable animals was able to leap high enough to attack him even on the roof, "HOLY SHII-," Hige kicked out with his legs, knocking him off the roof before making quick work of the other four that were with him, knocking them all out with well placed hits on human pressure points that Hige knew. If he could help it, Hige would rather not draw human blood. He hated the smell and it was too messy in the cities, making the other humans worry about some 'monster' roaming the streets. It was just force of habit that Hige didn't attack with his fangs, but rather his paws.

When he was sure the danger was gone for now, he leaped down to join the other two. Toboe was trying to coax the female out from behind the dumpster, "It's alright, kid, the bad men are gone now." Hige said as he stood beside Toboe. Both of them stayed in their wolf forms to keep her comfortable since she didn't revert to human form, inching forward so they didn't startle her.

"NO!" she barked, jumping out at them with wide eyes that were full of fear, "Do you realize what you've done?" she snapped.

"What do you mean?" Toboe tilt his head, "We just saved you!"

"No, They now know that there's more here! The hunts will come this way and they will follow you!" the wolf snapped her head up quickly, as if she sensed something, "LEAVE NOW! They're on their way!"

"What do you mean?" Hige was confused. Did she hit her head too hard?

"Jagura will come, and she will find you if you don't leave!" her pink eyes started to water, "Please! Please don't let her take any more lives! Save yourself while she still doesn't have you and find the flower!"

"We found the flower." Toboe said.

She paused, "You… what?"

"Yeah, we found Cheza." Toboe nodded with a smile, "Kiba and the others won't let anything bad happen to Cheza, so there's no need to worry now see?" he wagged his tail disarmingly.

"Ch-Cheza?" she tilted her head, "That's her name? The Flower is called Cheza?" she seemed elated, but was still tense like a doe that caught sight of the hunter.

"Yeah, and you can be safe too, if you want." Hige offered with a smile, "There's safety in numbers after all, right?"

"I can't." she shook her head, lowering her ears and tucking in her tail as she took a step back, "No, I can't go with you or anywhere near the flower."

"Why not?" Toboe perked his ears.

"I can't leave someone behind." She said softly.

"But…" all three noticed more shouting coming.

"It's the soldiers," the female perked her ears in alarm and then turned to the boys, "You go and take Cheza away from here! I'll distract them!" she barked, turning to dart away.

"WAIT! YOU DON'T HAVE TO-," Hige called.

"GO!" she barked.

"BUT!"

"At least tell us your name?" Hige called.

"Laura! It's Lauralai!" Lauralai called back, disappearing as she morphed to a human just before entering the crowds of humans. The boys saw a young girl shorter than Toboe's human form dressed in a dark thick winter dress and even darker stockings on her legs and a pair of boots. Her golden blond hair danced behind her just as she disappeared.

"That is either one brave kid or stupid girl." Hige awed.

"Her name is… Laura…" Toboe seemed mesmerized.

"Toboe, come'on! Snap outta it!" Hige smacked him upside the head.

"OUCH! HEY WHAT WAS THAT FOR! JERK!" Toboe rubbed the back of his head.

"We gotta get back to Cheza and the others! Or do you want Laura's sacrifice to be in vane?" the older wolf cowed him into running again.

"But we can't just let her-,"

"They weren't shooting to kill. If she were being hunted to the death she probably would have died by now. More than likely whoever this Jagura person is wants her alive, so she'll be fine, but obviously we need to get back to Cheza." Hige explained as he shoved the kid to get going.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.0.o.0.o.o.0.o.o.o.o0…..ok

"They're everywhere!" Akira hissed at Kiba's side while they ducked down in the bushes. The two had managed to dodge the soldiers in the town, but around the town was a tall wall that had trees hanging over it. It was over the wall that the wolves had come into town by, and now it was back over the wall that the wolves had to leave by. The only other way was either of the gates at the four corners of the town, but soldiers guarded them. Kiba hadn't even allowed them to try escaping that way, though Akira had wanted to at least try.

They tried to stay low as possible in the overgrown brush across the path where the wall they had to somehow get over with out the soldiers spotting them. The soldiers themselves were searching up and down the pathway along the walls and on the rooftops. They were being more thorough than ever and it was getting on Kiba's nerves as he growled lowly while a few men came too close for comfort to the spot he and Akira hid.

"I thought we shook them in the crowd?" Akira turned to face Kiba worriedly, "You don't think they spotted us do you?"

"No. They shouldn't recognize us as the refugees yet." Kiba kept his intense gaze through the brush, keeping tabs on where each enemy was and already calculating any kind of possible scenario that could happen with each short-thought plan he concocted in his mind to get them over that wall. It was almost a game of wit, and Kiba had the edge of a survivor that didn't allow him to lose to these humans.

"If they don't know us, then why are we hiding?" Akira huffed, "We should be able to just walk out there and-,"

"Hop over the wall and hope they don't notice?" Kiba finished with a quirk of his brow at her giving her a dull look while Akira's cheeks turned pink, "Don't think so." He snorted, "Besides, you lie about as well as we can survive off grass."

"I can lie if I have to!" Akira scowled.

"Riiiight." Kiba drawled, ignoring her once again and turning back to the scene at hand.

Akira shifted away from him, wanting to ignore him as well since he seemed to be doing it, but froze when she snapped a twig under her own weight. Kiba's eyes widened, but he kept perfectly still while some soldiers paused from walking by.

"Didja hear that?"

"Hear what? Your hearing aid?" the higher ranked officer snorted at the corporal grunt.

"No, I thought I heard something…" he turned to the bushes, bending down to get a good look.

"Don't be so ju-,"

Kiba burst through the bushes with a snarl on his face. His canines lengthening with the sudden rush of adrenaline that pumped in his blood and his fingernails lengthened to steely claws that tore through the unsuspecting soldiers necks, silencing them quickly while they fell to the ground with their own blood draining from their mouths and necks. Kiba shook his wrists to be rid of the wet blood that managed to splash on him and turned to Akira, "Come on." He jerked his head. He didn't seem the least bit concerned that he just killed two humans with little sympathy, but it shocked Akira.

She froze in the bushes, shaking slightly while her orange eyes were locked on the two dead men in front of her. Her body felt numb but her heart was racing in confusion. Why did he kill them? He didn't have to… did he?

"Akira," he called to her again, leaning down so he could see her though the leaves, "Come on, we have to get going before more come." He held out a hand to her, but Akira backed away, "Akira? What's wrong with you?"

"Y-y-y-you didn't have t-t-to k-kill them." She stuttered, curling into herself and away from his hand that smelt heavily of human blood. Fresh human blood. It made her stomach do uncomfortable knots and churns.

Kiba moved his hand closer to her, "Akira, we don't have time for this, we have to get going!" he said lowly, "It was either them or us, and right now, I want US to get back to Cheza!" he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the bushes, ignoring the way she flinched at his touch and dragged her across the pathway and over the ditch to the wall on the other side. He then let her hand fall and with a powerful leap, he bounded up the towering wall that was bigger than three houses stacked together, "This way!"

"There are no trees here!" Akira looked around.

"So?"

"It's too high!" Akira backed away shaking her head, "I can't make it!"

"Then we'll find a lower area or one with tr-," Kiba was cut off by the tattering roar of bullets digging along the ledge and forcing him back. He rolled to the safety of the other side of the wall, landing with a THUMP in the grass below while Akira ducked into the ditch and started running along side the wall in her wolf form to get away from the soldiers. Kiba could hear her running away and could tell that she wasn't in her human form any more even from the other side of the thick wall between them. He ran alongside it as well with worry.

"AKIRA!" he shouted over the barrier.

"JUST GO, KIBA!" Akira called back while she ran, "I KNOW WHERE WE CAMPED WITH CHEZA LAST NIGHT! I CAN FIND MY WAY BACK! JUST GO!"

"I WON'T LEAVE YOU BEHIND!" he snarled, reverting to wolf form to keep up with her along the wall.

"GO BACK TO CHEZA BEFORE THEY FIND HER TOO, KIBA!" Akira barked back in an almost pleading voice, "PLEASE KIBA! JUST GO!"

Kiba pulled up short at the mention of Cheza. He looked over his shoulder to the forest where the flower was, and then back to the wall, pinning back his ears at the sound of gunshots and shouting voices that chased after Akira. He snarled in frustration, but he could smell no blood just yet, so Akira must have been able to get far enough ahead that they couldn't get a good lock on her yet. But that didn't cure the overwhelming sense of fear he felt when he thought of leaving Akira alone to defend for herself…

Going against his better judgment, Kiba turned tail from the wall that separated the humans from the forest and bolted back for Cheza, praying to the Moon that Akira would be safe. He vowed that soon as he relocated Cheza to safer ground then he would go back for Akira.

Tsume jerked awake suddenly from the deepest slumber he could remember ever having with a start. He looked around, surprised to find that he was alone and that the Flower Maiden sat at his side, petting his fur while he had slept. He jerked away with a slight curl of his upper lip, not trusting Cheza just yet or the strange feeling she invoked inside his very being. He was confused that while her small 'human' body seemed warm, he knew that human bodies and pretty much anything else alive was much warmer. She seemed only slightly warmer than the weather around them, which was pleasant at the moment.

The Flower Maiden patiently let the gray wolf shy away from her touch as he became fully aware of himself and simply smiled up at him, confusing the gray wolf, and it must have shown in his face, because he heard a feminine chuckle from above. He jerkily shot his hard golden gaze upward to the large roots of the tree to find Heart's jet-black wolf form laying comfortably with the ankles of her front legs hanging off the side of the thick root she perched on. Her chin rests atop her paws while her red eyes watched in amusement, yet strangely, no mirth behind them. She seemed to enjoy watching him wake up like that.

Tsume gave her a glare to warn her off, but that just made the black wolf smile bigger at him, knowingly almost it seemed.

It grated his nerves to no end….

"You slept the longest out of every one, and you were kicking your feet like you were running, Tsume. Did you have pleasant dreams?" Cheza asked innocently with a tilt of her head in his direction.

Tsume glared mildly at her, his ears folding downwards as he huffed and turned away from her.

"You really seemed tired last night. It's good that you were able to have as deep of sleep that you did." Heart said soft enough to make Tsume stare at her a moment doubtfully.

"And just what do you mean by that?" he challenged, wanting to rat her out if she was trying to pick a fight earlier on so he could win the spar that was sure to follow quicker than usual.

"All I meant was that with the proper rest you just got, you can be at the top of your game with out over stressing yourself, Tsume." Heart replied softly while she folded her ears to her skull sadly with a quiet whine of shame, "Look, about what I said last night," she started.

"What about it." He quipped standoffishly.

"Well you know how I called you a P. bitch and all last night, and even though you sometimes do get grouchy and moody and harp at poor Toboe for no reason and act like a bastard to the others and get stingy with the food and-,"

"Your point?" Tsume cut off her rambling.

Heart's ears perked at him, realizing that she was rambling, "Oh, well, I was just going to… I mean I never… you…" she groaned and closed her eyes, "Look… I-,"

"Well spit it out, bitch." Tsume rolled his eyes.

Heart gave him a hard glare, "I WAS about to say that I'm sorry." She huffed.

Tsume was speechless. He stared in openly expressed shock, he had never heard her say any sort of an apology in all the years he'd known her. Especially not for something they usually did daily…. They ALWAYS picked fights with one another and he never thought anything of it other than enjoy it sometimes.

"Damn it," she sighed, catching his attention again as he shook his head to clear it and pin his ears back suspiciously, "That's not how I wanted to say I'm sorry, but I'm sorry, alright?" she avoided his tawny eyes, lifting her head stubbornly with pride, but unable to even face him while she babbled on, "Look, I was tired and stressed, but I didn't have any real excuse and then I'm worried about Akira right now and you're just so infuriating and grouchy all the time and a complete and utter bastard when it comes to a woman's feelings and-,"

"You make one hell of an apology." Tsume gruffed with a snort while the grey wolf shook his fur out and sat down on his haunches at ease, blowing off her attempts to get sentimental and mushy about a stupid apology… though she did end up insulting him more than apologizing in the end.

Heart's red eyes pinned him with a hard look before she jerked them away with a huff and a swish of her tail haughtily, "Hmph, you still started it."

"Keep telling yourself that and one day a unicorn will fly down and make it true, babe." He retorted dryly.

Heart immediately bristled embarrassed as she bared her fangs half-heartedly at him, "DON'T CALL ME-,"

"WE'RE BACK!" Toboe called while the pup eagerly broke through the foliage of the thick forest surrounding their little camp area. His shirt was slightly disheveled and had leaves and sticks stuck in his hair while he panted for breath clasping his arms around something furry and god awful smelling, but seemed to hold it with pride as he brought it right up to Tsume's side while Heart and Tsume reverted to human form to greet them both.

Heart quickly realized they were alone when they had left with more than two wolves, "Where's Kiba and Akira?" her red eyes scanned behind the two youngsters with maternal-worry.

"We split up when we got into town to search quicker and not draw too much attention with a larger group." Hige explained, "Don't worry, Heart, she's with Kiba, so she can't get too roughed up."

"Who's roughing what up?" Kiba shoved the foliage out of his way slightly out of breath as he came out of the woods. His blue eyes caught Hige's, "You two make it out alright?"

"Yeah, just got spooked a little," Hige nodded with a smug grin.

"But Hige, we ran because we saw a scary old lady!" Toboe tugged at Hige's sleeve. The others watched in amusement while Hige's face became pale.

"Getting in better shape now that you're out running old human women, Hige?" Heart cackled.

"HEY!" Hige yelped, "She was a reeeeeally fuckin scary old bat!"

"Yeah, so we ran!" Toboe added, not knowing he was making things harder on Hige.

"Toboe just shut up and don't talk anymore." Hige sighed.

"Speaking of getting in shape… what happened to you, Kiba? Run a marathon while you were out?" Tsume brought the attention back to the recent arrival.

"At least I wasn't snoozing away in fantasy land all day." Kiba countered with ease.

Tsume shrugged, "Some of us get tired sometimes and aren't superwolf."

Heart was getting agitated, "Where. Is. Akira?" her lower feminine voice almost growled in her demand as her boots pounded into the soft earth while she leapt down from her perch on the roots to land in front of Kiba. Her red eyes demanding that he not avoid her- if he were a true alpha to this pack, she would be challenging his position…. Even though this pack wasn't run with a real alpha, Kiba's inner wolf still didn't like the insubordination to his pride.

But this was for Akira…..

"We got separated after some soldiers spotted us in the market," He said, turning from the overprotective Heart's eyes to look back into the direction of the town, tightening his jaw a bit, "I was forced away from her, but I know she's on her way here."

"You're sure?"

Kiba turned sharply at her, his upper lip twitch up in a suppressed snarl, "I would have NEVER left her if I had any other choice, Heart!" he hissed, "Have a little faith in your friend! She's not a weak puppy! I don't like it either, but Akira has proven that she can out run mere soldiers!"

Heart lowered her head and glared up at Kiba, her own lip curling in anger as her canines lengthened dangerously and her fingers inched near her weapon, but Tsume caught her wrist. Her sharp red eyes lashed back to him, "TSUME!" she bit out dangerously.

"Cool it, Heart, there's nothing to be done for Akira right now than to have a bit of faith in her." The two of them stared each other down for a moment. Heart's brow furrowed even more, seeing that she'd get nowhere with the stubborn males gaining up on her in this situation. She jerked out of his grasp and backed away from him with a frustrated groan and a roll of her eyes, mumbling death threats under her breath.

Cheza, meanwhile, was smiling curiously while Toboe helped her put on the pink boots he and Hige had brought back for her. The boy stood up, flashing her a bright smile as he stood and helped her stand and watched her try to walk in them. The flower maidens ruby eyes reflected so much wonder and joy that he couldn't help but grin widely. Cheza started to giggle while she hopped from one foot to the other, loving the way the rubbery fabric of the boots gave and took around her feet while she shifted her weight in them. She twirled about, catching the attention of all the wolves around her in bewilderment. Even the fuming Heart was caught off guard when the young flower child danced across her line of sight.

"What's gotten into her?" Heart arched a brow.

"Spring fever?" Tsume shrugged back when she turned to him with a questioning look.

"No, no, it's nothing like that, guys!" Toboe chuckled when Cheza twirled to him, holding out her hands to him, asking him to join her. The pup eagerly took her hands and pranced about with her in circles while they both laughed gleefully, "its the boots!"

"AH! So she likes them?" Hige preened with pride.

"She likes them!" Toboe confirmed as he twirled the flower about. She let go of his hand, giggling madly as she lost her balance and rolled into the grass. Her innocent joyfulness lightened the hearts of the wolves around her, earning smiles all around, and for that she was beyond happy. The group was getting much too tense with being hunted down and all. Now she only prayed that Akira finds her way back….

Cheza suddenly tensed up and stood sharply. Her unseeing eyes wide and curious in disbelief as they stared blankly in a single direction. Her sudden change of mood startled the others to attention. Hige started to stutter as he caught what… or WHO caught Cheza's attention.

"It's-It's-It's THE DEMON LADY!" he yelped, taking a step back while the others braced themselves for action, "I know that scent from the town!"

"You're sure?" Toboe yelped while he and the others searched for a visual, but the intruder hadn't shown their face yet.

"Damn straight I'm sure, runt!"

"Silence your friend's yowling, wolves." A raspy, weathered voice was heard before an old woman with extremely long white hair appeared. It pooled to the ground at her feet, spilling out of the heavy hood that hid her face and body other than a wrinkly knurled hand that grasped the bulbous top of an ancient walking stick. Her very presence unnerved even the older wolves since she suddenly just appeared with no warning or disturbance to the forest to alert them of her approach. She held up her other hand and beckoned them forward, "Hurry! This way!" she motioned.

The wolves hesitated.

"I don't like this…" Tsume took a step back. His golden eyes locked on the intruder.

Heart took a stealthy inhale of breath to test the woman's scent and narrowed her eyes, "Her scent's identical to Cheza's, almost."

"That means nothing!" Tsume gritted his teeth, "We should hardly be trusting her as it is since those damn humans are on our asses constantly now."

"I know of your suspicions of me, gray one." The woman spoke up, suddenly appearing in front of Tsume, startling him, but he resisted the urge to back away quickly, "But it's not me who you should fear… you know as well as I that the givers of death will be here soon."

"Giver's of death?" Tsume cocked a brow and took a step back, growling lowly at the woman, "Look, lady, I don't know who you are or why you keep doing that pop up trick, but I'd say its best if you DON'T do that again…" he warned.

"Wait a minute, Tsume…" Hige's eyes widened as he sniffed the air, "She's right! The humans are closing in fast!" he gulped in nervousness, "And from the smell of it, they've got heavy fire power. Nothing like the ones before!"

"We can't out run that kind of power again!" Toboe whined, "And what about Akira! She's still in there!"

"Then follow." The old woman made a motion with her staff for them to follow as she shuffled away, pretty fast for someone who looked so old…

"No… no!" Tsume shook his head when the others turned to him, then the old woman, "We are NOT following suspicious old ladies into forests we don't know…"

Cheza started forward, following the woman's path with all the trust in the world. She even took Toboe's hand as if they were going on a picnic, "Come, Tsume, Heart, Hige…" she called over her shoulder. Heart and Hige didn't give it a second thought as they stood and followed after her obediently, leaving a fuming Tsume to growl at them.

"IGNORE ME WILL YOU!" he bit back.

"Run now, die another day." Hige shrugged while Tsume followed grudgingly.

Kiba watched them hurry off into the trees, then turned back towards the town again, suppressing a whine clogging his throat. His blue eyes sought for any sign that Akira was on her way, but all he caught signs off were the smoke from the engines of the men's machines that were perusing them. He gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists.

He shouldn't have left her in the first place. He should have found a way back to her side and lead her out of the city another way. She was still too new to this sort of life outside of the protection of the Keep in Freeze City or a family Pack. Heart had every reason to want to cut his throat like her eyes threatened when she glared at him just before.

"Kiba? Hurry up man!" Hige urged, "We gotta get outta here!"

Kiba reluctantly turned and rushed after the others, silently apologizing to Akira.

..0. ...0.0.0.-

"Did you regain visual?" a higher up asked his subordinate as the soldier passed by with his group. The man shook his head, gritting his teeth in frustration for a reply.

"No sir. The boy got away into the woods and the girl just disappeared." He informed, shifting his gun from leaning on one shoulder to the other as he looked back at the scene of the marketplace from where they stood above it on the rooftops, "But that shouldn't last long. She's stuck in the city and with that bright red hair of hers… it's only a matter of time." He flashed a confidant grin to his superior who kept his sour face with the wrinkles set firmly as if he were born that way.

"Be sure that's the case, soldier." The higher up dismissed the soldier, "Find her and bring her back to HQ unharmed, got it? Spread the word. Female with bright red hair is the target."

"Sir, yes Sir!" the soldier straightened and saluted, then turned sharply as he headed off to continue the search. He held up a hand to press the call button on his radio attacked to his headgear, opening all lines to his men as he started to give orders, "Alright, boys, you heard the man: Female with red hair. Get'er and bring'er in, got it?" he paused for a moment, "Alive."

"Any other identifiable traits sir?" a voice rasped over his radio as the soldier took a long lunge to the next roof, landing with a resounding THUD atop the new hut and then climbed down the latter to get to the streets for a different view.

"It's bright red hair, man," he grouched back into the communication device with an arch of his brow, "How much more _identifiable _can ya ge- EH!" he stumbled and almost hit the ground when something about the height of his knee caps dodged in front of his path, startling the soldier, "WHOA!" he caught himself and looked for the cause, spotting a… Dog. It even had a chain around its neck and a small pouch held in its teeth. It turned to him momentarily with wide orange eyes that seemed more expressive than usual. The red fur of the beast captivated him momentarily as the hazy light of the sun hidden behind the gray clouds caught its shine for a moment before the dog turned tail and bounded off into the crowd.

"Jonas…? Hey! JONAS!" the soldiers' head gear rattled in his ear, "Jonas, what the hell man? What's going on?"

"Nu…Nothing." He shrugged, "Anyways, bright red hair, girl. That should be enough to find her. Over and out." He turned off his radio and started on his way through the crowd, forgetting the dog completely.

Akira heaved a huge sigh of relief when the soldier called 'Jonas' passed by the booth she hid beside, her hackles finally settling down on her back. She was sure he'd recognized her somehow back there- it was a close call she wasn't willing to go through again. She didn't get time to relax for long before she stood again and hurriedly continued her search for a way out of the city. With her small nimble body she weaved out of the marketplace and back to the alleys near the huge wall of the city. She ran along side it, searching for a gap that she could wedge herself between while the small pouch with the gifted totem nestled safely in her jaws.

'_This is getting me no where!_' she whined, slowing down to a trot, and eventually stopping all together, setting down her totem's pouch and taking a breather, looking up and down the wall then turning behind her to see a familiar statue of a woman in armor….

'_GRAH! I KNEW IT!' _she curled her lip in distaste_, 'I PASSED THAT STATUE THREE TIMES!' _she sat back on her haunches, lowering her head. Smelling her way out wasn't an option- she was still new to the tracking game and there were too many scents here to begin with! She could hardly tell where one began and another ended! Looking back to the wall and then tilting her head back to look at the top of it, she cringed- that was waaaaaaay too tall for her to bound over, and unlike the cliff she attempted to scale before, this had no nook holes for her paws and it was straight up and down- no slope to balance on. Scaling the wall was out. The gates were locked up tight and closed- she was trapped. She lowered her head and let out a pitiful canine sigh while her ears flopped to her skull in shame.

"Hey there pretty girl," Akira's head darted, ears alert at the sudden voice that came from the adjacent alley way to the wall. A young boy held out his hand as he slowly approached her, a half-devoured hotdog proffered in his small hand to try and entice her closer. Akira's stomach rumbled in response as she stood to greet the boy. Her head tilt to the side as she looked him over- he wasn't very tall, so she doubted he was more than twelve human years old. He wore layers of dirty ragged clothing that only the style of the poor could pull off and his pale face was smeared with dirt and freckles. His dark brown eyes held no mirth behind them or deceit, though they were hidden underneath the hood of his poncho and a sock hat that kept his wild, overgrown black hair out of his face. When he smiled, he was missing one tooth on the left side that was almost endearing to see, "You gotta be hungry, ain'cha girl?" he was about an arms length away now and he squatted down, letting her come to him, "I won' hurt'cha," he held up a two-finger salute, "Scouts honor!"

Akira lowered her head, approaching the boy with a wagging tail and a small friendly whine as she licked his face and nuzzled into his surprised body before accepting the offered food and sitting in front of him, wagging her tail more furiously when he started to pet her with a happily surprised giggle.

"You a sweetie ain'cha girl?" he grinned, scratching behind her ear, making Akira want to kick out her back leg in pleasure.

Once she finished the hotdog, she licked his hand again with a small woof and then nuzzled into him, eating up the attention she missed from human children. She and Jazz would often play with the children on the streets of Freeze City and she'd learned to cherish them above all else. They were her favorite aspect of the human race!

"You're too sweet to be from the streets, and from the collar, it looks like you got a family too, don'cha?"

She answered him with warm puppy eyes and another sweet whine that had him scratching behind her ears again. She sighed heavily in pleasure. It felt sooooo good to have someone do that to her again! She moaned happily, but whined when he pulled away, taking her face in his hands, "I lost my family too, but that doesn't mean I can't get ya back to your home. How's that sound?"

Akira's face brightened up as she woofed her reply gently and licked his face, knocking him over and pinning him to the ground while she wagged her tail and tickled him, delighting in his fits of giggles.

"OK, OK! I get it, you're happy!" he chuckled and struggled to get her off, "First things first though, that hotdog was only the appetizer, what say you and I go find the main course for lunch before we start lookin?" her only answer was to back off, letting him stand and dust himself off, then wipe his face clean of dog slobber. She wagged her tail slowly, waiting to follow him, "Ok, girl, lets go then," he patted his leg for her to follow at his side, which she did after scooping up her totem's pouch then trotting after him, looking up adoringly while he crossed his arms behind his head, "Someone's bound to recognize a pretty thing like you. I'm sure if we just go cruise'n around we'll find your family."

Akira paused a moment, looking over her shoulder to the wall, '_I know Hige and Toboe probably got out while they could so that mean's I'm the only one left in here…. I hope they're all safe…'_ she thought, '_I probably shouldn't be wasting time like this, but really what else can I do?'_

"Here, girl! Come on!" the boy called, catching her attention. Akira snapped her head back to him, wagging her tail excitedly like a love struck pup as she bounded after him.

'_I'll stick with the kid for a while, just until the soldiers let up and I can get out of the gates,'_ she reasoned.

-..0. ...0.0.0.

Meanwhile, five wolves and the flower maiden were pressed against the smooth wall of the mysterious old woman's home inside a gigantic tree deep in the forest. No one moved a muscle while their ears and noses detected the soldiers just outside, even going so far as to hold their breath as one by one the humans passed unawares to what hide just behind the thick bark of the tree.

"What's the scanners say?"

"They keep going to the tree…"

"What tree? There's THOUSANDS OF FUCKING TREE'S CORPORAL!" the soldier snatched the scanning device out of the other man's hands and chucked it to the ground at his feet stomping on it, "THIS THING IS BUSTED!"

"Well it is NOW sir."

"SILENCE!" he snapped in frustration, "Everyone back to the town! This stupid thing is leading us no where!"

"Well since the target is said to be a plant-lady…. At least it took us to a plant, right?"

"Shut up corporal before I make you a janitor to the homosexual prison. And Janitors DON'T get help for gang rape if you catch my drift."

"Sir, yes sir!"

The wolves waited a few heartbeats until they could sense the soldiers no more, "Are they gone…?" Toboe slowly perked up, too scared to actually look over the knothole that served as the house window.

"I can't smell them anywhere near here," Hige shook his head, looking over his shoulder and rolling his eyes in relief, "Whew! That was too close for comfort!" he sighed, letting his legs slowly collapse and slid his back down the wall of their sanctuary until he sat.

"I'll say…" Tsume agreed for once, crossing his arms over the breadth of his wide chest, "This whole running thing is starting to make me want to stop running and start shedding some blood. Give those bastards SOMETHING to be afraid of." He gritted his teeth.

"That would only have them hunt us down with more fever than before." Heart pointed out with less than happy tones about it.

The pack became silent for a moment, "There's no doubt in my mind they'd resort to anything less than a full out annihilation of our kind should they find us out." Kiba admitted what they all thought to be true.

"I hope Akira's okay out there…" Toboe worried wistfully looking through the small window outside with a whimper in his eyes.

"She should be fine." Heart said, resting a reassuring hand on the pups shoulder with a gentle smile, "She may not know much but she does know how to take care of herself for a little while… or at least she's good at figuring things out like that."

"Doubt it." Tsume rolled his eyes, "Most likely what'll happen is she'll roll belly up for the first human that'll rub her tummy."

"Just because she's a little more trusting in humans than you are, Tsume, doesn't give you the right to say stuff like that about her!" Heart growled.

"You going to tell me I'm WRONG about the human lover?" Tsume challenged, running a hand through his bangs, "Look, she's not even FULL WOLF!"

"What's that gotta do with anything?" Heart immediately went on the defensive, quirking the interest of her new pack, but Tsume wasn't about to stop Akira's onslaught.

"How is she even going to get into paradise if she doesn't even have that much!"

"TSUME!" Kiba snapped, shoving himself between Heart and the gray wolf's stand off to face off the larger male himself with death in his eyes, "THAT'S ENOUGH!" he demanded.

"Back off, Kiba!" Tsume warned, bearing his lengthened fangs.

"I'm getting tired of your attitude…." Kiba snarled his own warning, his blue eyes burning gold with the threat of the change in retribution for the gray wolf's insubordination. Tsume answered with an even deeper-throated rumble of his own while his own eyes flashed warningly.

"You fools," the old woman leered her sightless eyes on them with a scowl at the macho display the males were putting on, "Only one whose blood is not full wolf is the blood destined to decide the outcome of paradise," she hobbled with her cane over to her rocking chair and sat down with the help of Cheza, "The end of the world will come when the world cries out and sheds blood potentate enough to stain the moon the color red, the wolves will seek the flower maiden and she will lead them to paradise, but it is then that the chosen blood of an imperfect race will decide if the moon will wane new or burst to the full, that is the fate paradise will unleash to the world. So it was written and so is shall be." Her gravely voice was getting to be no more than a whisper in her exhaustion.

"A time when the earth makes the moon turn red?" Toboe tilt his head, "I've never heard of a Red Moon before…"

"The elders of my pup hood pack once used to say that in the earths last days, the silver of the moon will bleed red while the moon weeps over the earth's death." Heart recalled quietly in the fondness of better times of memory, "Is it true that what we're seeing…. The race between the human-clans to get a hold of Cheza…. Is it because the death of the earth approaching that causes this?"

The old woman hacked a cough that sounded uncannily like a mirthless laugh, "The Humans do not pay enough attention to their own history to know of Cheza's worth, nor do the wolves know exactly the extent of her true power or purpose to them. Only the others of our race know of her secrets," the old woman smiled sadly, "I have been waiting for thousands of years with the others for her. She is the only perfect creation among my people. It is she who's being is tied to that of the three moons: New, Full, and Red. Cheza will open up paradise, but the outcome is entirely up to the Red Moon's heart."

"So you're telling me that not only do we have to get Cheza to paradise, but we have to find a way to talk to the MOON now?" Hige sassed doubtfully with a cock of his brow.

The elder woman hardened her features just shy of hatred, "I do not expect WOLVES to understand the greater destinies set among the Earth and the Moon. You're as ignorant as the humans. Cheza will be wasted on you, she should be with her own kind. The others will rejoice her return to us!

"But …. This one is the … last." Cheza said softly as she bent down in front of the elder flower her pale bangs hiding the swell of tears, "Kiba and the others took this one to her home, but everyone has died. This one fears she is the last alive." Tears started to well up in her crimson eyes sadly.

The elder woman smiled sympathetically, cupping Cheza's face with her knurled old fingers gently to lift her face up to hers so that both of them could rest foreheads, "Then you shall stay here with me, child. We'll live for our clan together in peace, away from humans and wolves….."

..0. ...0.0.0.-

"GET BACK HERE YOU SON OF A BITCH!" the angry food stand owner shouted after the young ragged covered boy who ran off with a large dog with rich red and black fur and silver chain with a small pouch tied to it and a crucifix pendent bouncing rapidly with her strides. Both boy and dog had food carried on them. The dog held a nice chunk of ham between her jaws while the boy had his arms full of a loaf of bread and some fruit, laughing with glee as he and his canine companion left the middle aged, out of shape man in the dust.

"That was easy, wasn' it girl?" the kid laughed while they turned another corner to lose the old man …. And promptly bumped into a duo of soldiers on patrol. Akira, the 'dog' growled with the ham between her jaws at the scent of alcohol wafting from them.

"Watch it, kid" one of the soldiers gruffed, shoving the boy back and off his feet.

"Sorry, sir!" the boy apologized with a good natured nod, scrambling to get back on his feet and gathered his food off the ground

"STOP HIM! THIEF!" the shop owner shouted shaking his fists angrily in the air. Apparently, they still hadn't gotten him off their tail, "THAT BOYAND HIS BITCH STOLE FOOD FROM MY CART!"

The soldiers turned to each other lopsidedly, as if they couldn't see straight properly, "Well… duty calls I guuuush," one hiccupped, and pointed an unsteady finger at the boy and Akira who were frozen in shock, "Get'em!" the other two soldiers lunged for him with little to no balance backing them up.

"Oh GEEZE!" the boy yelped as he ducked out of the way of soldier number one then threw his handful of food at number two, bopping him in the face and tripping both with the loose food under their unsure feet. The kid quickly turned tail, jerking Akira's chain as he passed to get her to follow him in his mad dash into the crowd, "COM'MON ON GIRL! RUN FOR IT!" he panted as he dodged through the throng of jammed adults in the market place, Akira weaving around them at his heels, "IF THEY CATCH US, I'M OFF TO THE FACTORIES AGAIN!"

'Factories?' Akira tilt her head, but could tell that whatever that meant, her new friend wouldn't fair well if those men caught them. She shoved her way pass him and then started growling at the humans, getting them to jerk out of their way so her new man-child friend and herself could pass through the crowds quicker.

"This way!" he hollered as they made a hard right and dodged into a small alleyway by the old Tavern of the town. The boy looked over his shoulder while he ran, "I think that got-," He was cut off from whatever he was about to say when he ran face first into an older man who stood solidly, like someone who was prepared for the unexpected. His heavy trench coat barely seemed to shift from the impact, but the kid could feel something very strong under it. He looked up with wide, fearful eyes- this man had a shotgun hidden! Guns were illegal unless you were a soldier and the old man with a rimmed hat hiding his eyes didn't look like a soldier at all. He backed off, falling back on his behind again and back pedaled back while the man's big black dog with haunting blue eyes stared him down with uncanny intelligence, as if it were sizing him up. The man tightened his hold on the short leash when the dog started growling at the boys' red-furred companion who had set down the ham at his side and was licking his face to see if he was all right, ignoring the threats the big black dog was snarling at her.

"Easy Blue, its just a dog." He grumbled under his breath as the black dog seemed to stop growling, but its blue eyes still pierced through Akira like it knew her secretes. Akira shivered at the boy's side, not liking how it was looking at her. Did it know she was a wolf? No her scent was too different from normal wolves to give her away even to normal dogs….

"Watch it will ya!" the man hissed at the kid on the ground with a roar, "Damn kids running around like animals everywhere…" he grumbled, moving to pass the boy and his dog to get to the main street. While he passed them, he noticed soldiers were running around frantically on the rooftops. They were looking for someone…. Or something, '_wolves… they're here.'_ Quent smirked slightly, patting the gun under his trench coat where it was waiting. Blue tugged at the leash, looking back at the boy's dog, forcing Quent to take a second glance at the creature that was snarling at the soldiers, pressing its back to the walls like it knew they were after it or… something.

The boy stood up quickly suddenly and started running, "COME ON GIRL!" and for a flash of a second, Quent got a good look at the 'dogs' eyes. They were too clear, too predatory to be a dogs. It barked its reply and the two started to run deeper into the alleyway behind Quent while the old man's liquor-slowed mind reeled with recognition.

'_That's it! That's the wolf!' _he thought.

"STOP HIM!" Quent was shoved aside by a group of three soldiers who spotted the kid, "Stupid old man!" one hissed under his breath, "GET BACK HERE KID!" and just like that, they were gone and out of Quent's sight.

He couldn't believe it. There was a wolf, right in front of him and he didn't even recognize it because they were resorting to acting like pets for kids! They were tricking him again! Gritting his teeth, Quent tore out his shot gun, cocking and loading it with a snarl on his face as he let go of Blue's leash, "BLUE- HUNT!" he commanded, and Blue snarled, dashing off after the soldiers, the boy and most importantly, the wolf….

-..0. ...0.0.0.

His small hands slammed into the cold, unforgiving rough brick, stopping him dead in his tracks from running away. He was panting so hard his left side cramped, forcing him to hunch over while his legs burned with over use. His young body screamed in protest of malnutrition while the adrenaline pumped in his veins trying to get him to safety, but with the wall barring them in and the soldiers hot on their tail, there was no escape anymore. He had lost his hat and his poncho had fallen from his head in the escape, letting his unruly black curls run wild around his head and neck, catching into his dark brown eyes and face that was flushed with exhaustion, "Damn it! This is it!" he gasped for air, shoving himself to turn around ad face the mouth of their prison, he braced his hands to the wall behind him, holding himself up as he glared where he knew his hunters would show up, "We're done for, girl!"

Akira panted at his side, her head lowered and feet wide apart, but she raised her tail and let loose a low growl, her hackles standing on end as she moved protectively in front of her new young friend, '_I never knew humans could hunt EACH OTHER down like this!' _Akira turned to look at him with sad orange eye_s, 'especially hunting their young! He's just a boy!' _She noticed he was shaking with fear and quickly approached him, butting her head against his leg. His brave façade broke to tears as he buckled his legs and grabbed a hold of her neck, sobbing into her fur while she whined, trying to give some sort of comfort to the young child.

"I didn' think we'd get in'ta this much trouble!" he hiccupped, "We stole from his garbage! Not his cart!" she flopped her ears down sympathetically, before they twitched to the sound of someone approaching. Looking over her shoulder and the boy's head buried in her neck, Akira's orange eyes locked with the drunken soldiers that pursued them. Her fury blazed about her. They were going too far with this youngling! He'd done nothing to warrant their cruelty, and here they were brandishing guns at them! She turned around in the boy's grasp, baring her fangs in warning.

"You little brat! Don't you know thieves never get away with things like this?" the soldier spat at the ground, "We're just gonna have to teach you a lesson and cut off one of your hands- can't steal very well one handed can ya?" he cackled with the other two.

The boy shuddered and buried into Akira's fur further, "I PROMISE IM NOT A THIEF! IT WAS THE GUYS TRA-,"

"I don't care if you stole the old man's shit, boy! You disrespected a soldier by running away from us after knocking into me!" the soldier cackled, approaching the twosome at the back of the alley way "you're MINE now kid…" he reached for the boy. Akira bolted for the out stretched hand, fangs bared as she roared her anger, but she was batted to the side easily with the side of the soldiers gun, "Your dog's just as annoying as you are!"

"Yeah, just as disobedient too." The second soldier chuckled while Akira tried to get up from being knocked to her side. The second soldier kicked her with the toe of his boot, throwing her off balance and wrenching a yelp of pain from her throat as he kicked an older bruise from her escape attempts before.

"HEY!" the boy yelped, struggling to stay out of reach of the men, "LEAVE HER ALONE! SHE DIDN'T DO NOTHIN!"

"Shut up kid," the soldier snagged the collar of the boy's poncho and held him up off the ground, "thieves don't have the right to speak for kicked dogs." He chuckled at his sad joke with the other two while the boy gritted his teeth, not crying anymore.

"I. SAID. I'M. NOT. A. THEIF!" the boy put all the strength he had into the luckily well-placed kick that nailed the poor man in his private parts, crippling him and freeing the boy. The small child quickly dodged away soon as he was released and blew a raspberry at them immaturely, "AND I RAN BECAUSE YOU POINTED GUNS AT ME, STUPID HEADS!" he snorted, kicking dirt at the fallen man.

"B…BASTARD…." The wounded soldier gasped, "G-GET HIM!" the two lackeys had just been staring in shock until now, but jumped into action soon as the order was given and they burst forth to catch the boy that seemed as slippery as oil with how he out maneuvered his little body around their burly lumberjack ones.

"Screw this!" the third soldier scoffed as he took out his pistol and shot it near the boy's shoes, startling him, "HA! Gonna try that trick of yours again? Just TRY IT!" he cackled as he shot again, the bullet wized at the boy, shooting through his thin left arm in a burst of pain and blood. The soldiers seemed to relish his small cry of utter pain and fear.

"KYYYYYYYAH!" he fell to his side, clutching his small arm while the hot blood stained his layers of clothing and gushed to the ground beneath him. He shivered in the pain and looked up at the soldiers in fear again, sobbing his pain.

"Finish that nut-cracking little street rat!" the soldier in charge grinned manically as the third soldier cocked the pistol one last time.

"I love it when they scre-," he was tackled to the ground by the snarling red dog that had gone mad. The pistol went off, bullet ricocheting off the bricks around them, forcing the other men to duck down.

"WHAT THE HELL? HORRUS?" but the soldier called Horrus only answered in went, gulping noises of someone's throat being torn out. He died before he could do or say much else. When the soldiers were able to look up again, the bullet having died out, they stared in horror at Horrus's bloodied body. His whole front was torn, clawed and ripped with fangs even with the armor. His grim reaper stood over him, orange eyes glowering with hate while hot, steaming blood dripped from fangs and clotting the usually soft fur around the white muzzle. The beasts' eyes locked onto them and they backed away, overwhelming fear gripping their hearts.

"OH MY GOD! IT KILLED HORRUS!" the second soldier yelped, whipping out his gun, shakily taking aim while the devil bent low in a crouch, preparing to attack a second time. She leapt at them with another roar of anger, but the two of them scrambled out of the way in time before she could pin one again. Her sharp claws snagged one's arm, letting her enjoy the sound of his scream of agony. She took her time turning around, her tail lashed behind her as she lowered her head.

"It's death, Picos… I see the face of death before us!" the second soldier gulped as they started to back away from the back of the alley, thankful to have the mouth of the alleyway behind them. Neither took their eyes off the monster that stared them down, almost playing with them with taunting blood, soaked fangs. The orange eyes of death never blinked or moved off either of them as they cowardly scrambled backwards.

"No.. no.. It's something else. I heard the higher ups talking about it…." Picos, the commander panted shakily while the other soldier darted disbelieving eyes to him, "It's … it's a… A…"

"There ya are, wolfie…." Quent startled the soldiers where he stood behind them, shot gun at the ready and Blue at his feet snarling murder, awaiting his signal, "Looks like you already had a snack huh! What are you going to do? Have the kid for lunch! I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY ALIVE!" he shot his powerful bullet threw the shotgun. Akira's instincts were barely able to move her out of the way, but the sudden shock of being hunted instead of being the hunter knocked her out of her trance.

'_WHA…what's going on!' _she thought, searching for the boy and finding her at her feet, he was still bleeding and in pain, but his wide young eyes were on her with such fear it felt like he was stabbing her with a poisoned blade,_ 'What have I done?' _she looked down at the blood all around her and the overwhelming smell of it burning her nostrils.

With a whimper she tried to approach him, but he jerked up and away from her, "St-Stay away from me! HEEEELP!"

Another shot rang between them, to Akira's horror, she was able to dodge it, but it shot right through the boys' chest. His shocked brown eyes locked on to her terrified orange ones.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Akira howled, changing to her human form, and startling the soldiers and Quent that suddenly where once a wolf stood bloodied and stunned, a young woman with only slightly scruffed up clothing stood over the fallen boy. The soldier with the pistol that had shot at the wolf, missed then hit the boy stared in shock.

"Wha… what is it?" he gawked.

Akira scooped up the boy in her arms, tears running down her face, "I'm going to get you out of here. Don't worry…." She tucked his head under hers, "I'm so sorry… I'm so, so sorry" she cried quietly. The soldiers had started shooting again, but she ran at them, quicker than their eyes could follow, letting her instincts guide her as she delivered a kick to one, twisting his neck in a paralyzing way. He lost control of his gun, killing his partner, letting her easily slip pass the two.

Blue surged forward, latching her jaws onto Akira's ankle. Akira cried out in pain, the boy falling from her arms as she fell forward, "NO!" she cried out while Blue pinned her down. Akira struggled under the dog, "GET OFF ME!" she turned around, elbowing the dog off then scrambled to her feet. Quent shot at her, narrowly missing as she bent low, scooping up the boy again and then kicking up in a powerful leap to the an over hang in the buildings and disappearing inside.

"DAMN IT! GOT AWAY!" Quent cursed. Blue moved to follow them, but Quent stopped her by grabbing her leash. She turned to him confused, "Let it run Blue. Its injured and an easy kill. It can't get out of the city like that." He shook his head.

He didn't understand it… The wolf wasn't attacking because it was trying to eat anyone like most he had thought would. This one attacked because it was protecting the child….

'What the hell is going on here!' he thought, "I must be more drunk than I thought!"

Akira's body hurt so much that she was crying, but still she refused to stop running until she made it to the wall. With out even giving it a second thought, the wolf turned human leaped up and over the great wall as if it were nothing but a log in her path. She landed badly on her wounded ankle and tumbled forward again, this time she clutched the tiny boys body to her own protectively, not letting him fall out of her arms again. When she stopped rolling, she sat up, panting and moved to cradle the boy better in her arms. She brushed his bangs out of his face, seeing lifeless dark brown eyes that made her heart feel cold.

"No…. please no…." she gulped with fear as she held her breath, her oxygen-deprived lungs screamed in protest as two of her small fingers gently brushed against the pulse point under his jaw…. Nothing. The boy was dead. Even the flow of his wounds were slow and the blood getting dark cherry red instead of a vibrant hot red that would signal life of the young. She stared down at him in disbelief. She had never seen the death of a human child. Never even seen a dead human child. She had cherished them so much that she couldn't wrap it around her mind that anyone would want to kill them or even put them in harms way, but those soldiers had shot him down in their fear of…. Of her…. He was dead because of her.

A gasp of needed air forced its way out of her clenched teeth and the dam of frozen shock crumbled around her heart. She lurched forward, clinging the small boy's body to her chest as she sobbed. He wasn't even her child, but still she felt her heart die a little with him. He was so scared of the soldiers when they were being chased, and even more so when he saw the blood on his canine friends muzzle and the crazed bloodthirsty monster she had turned into….

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" she repeated like a mantra in whispered hushes of breath between her chest shaking sobs and whimpers. When the boys' body started to get cold, she slowly let go of her death grip on him until he lay peacefully before her. His eyes still slightly opened. She reached out and gently closed them, tucking her chin to her chest in pain. Her pain was so great that the change over took her and there sat the red wolf instead of the grieving woman. Mechanically, she dug a shallow hole for the boy and dragged him in it, burying him back as best she could. When she patted the dirt back, she yanked the wolf totem off her chain and gently pressed it into the dirt that marked his grave. Stepping back and feeling foolish for doing something like this- a makeshift funeral for an unknown child- but it was the only thing she could think of to do. She threw her head back and let loose a howling cry of anguish to the heavens. Let the soldiers know where she was. She didn't care; the boy lost his life in a squabble far beyond him…

..0. ...0.0.0.-

Toboe's ears were shot with a sudden howling in the wind. The others jerked up as well, obviously able to hear it, but out of all of them, Toboe's hearing was by far the superior. What he heard wasn't just a howl, it was a scream of pained agony. His honey-roast golden eyes almost watered at the emotion behind that sad song he heard, but gritted his teeth and pushed back the impulse to weep, "Hey, THAT'S AKIRA!" his eyes brightened, though moister still made them shimmer.

"Are you sure!" Hige immediately started inhaling, trying to catch a confirming scent, but whoever it was, was just out of range, infuriating him.

"Settle down, porky." Tsume snorted at Hige's agitated twitching and hisses of frustration between his teeth, "Do you know any other wolves nearby that would be stupid enough to announce their location by howling like that?" he dead panned. Hige leapt to his feet, wholly in attempt to defend Akira's intelligence when he caught himself… she did kind of howl at a bad time and it was among the most stupid of things she could do at the moment. The stocky wolf sighed and slumped back down, glaring at Tsume's smug look.

"She might be hurt, and… and trying to call for us…" Heart sympathized, but her red eyes were widening with worry as she looked to Kiba, a silent plea in her autumn red eyes for him to be Akira's savior.

Kiba swallowed hard, looking to the door, and then back to Cheza with a hardened look. He could tell the Flower was torn greatly, "Cheza… Akira needs us now." He said softly.

Cheza's ruby eyes sought him out with fear, "Akira?" she whispered breathlessly in worry, "I can hear her… she's in pain!" she clutched her small hands to her soft downy pale hair, "This one doesn't know what to do!"

"The wolf is on it's own now. The fool has tangled in the plots of man and now is caught in their web of lies and pain. The Lunar Child will stay here with me. She will not be tainted by her kind as she would with the wolves. Go to the pained one and leave us now in peace!" the old woman struck the floor with her cane in her finality. Her hard, sightless eyes leveled with Kiba's defiant ones.

Kiba squared his shoulders, refusing to back down from the elders' ancient ways of life that were tearing away her grasp of reality, "No. Cheza is coming with us- she's leading us to Paradise!" he bluntly defied the woman, almost spitting in her face.

"So you're going to dominate her now? Not give her the choice to stay or go?" the woman snapped, standing up quicker than her old body should allow. Her ancient wrinkles around her lips deepened in the barely concealed snare of her teeth.

"SHE'S ALWAYS HAD THE CHOICE!" Kiba bit back, stepping forward with a snarl of his own.

"I have yet to hear her testify that with her own lips, wolf!"

"No, PLEASE STOP THIS!" Cheza forced herself between the ancient flower and the snarling wolf, turning from one to the other in a desperate plea, "Kiba, please stop this…" she begged with sorrow in her eyes.

Kiba's heart fell out the bottom of his stomach as his blue eyes widened, "Cheza..." if she was choosing to stay with the batty old flower, he could do nothing to stop her, but… what of paradise? He couldn't lead the others on his own!

"The old one is wilting and needs her rest!" Cheza shook her head, backing away from him to stand beside the ancient one and help her back to sitting down in the rocker gently, "Please, no more violence…. No more." She whispered. Kiba backed down, but snorted grudgingly, catching onto what Cheza was leading to while she turned apologetic eyes back to the elder, "Please, Elder… please understand this one's heart…" she took the elder's hand and lead it to her chest, both mirror images of ruby eyes glowed for a minute and they paused any movement as if caught up in a shared trance.

"What's going on now?" Hige eyed them suspiciously.

"Must be a flower thing…" Heart shrugged, "I think Cheza's actually showing the Elder her heart…"

"Can she do that?" Toboe watched in awe, his jaw dropping slightly in disbelief as the soft golden light illuminating the two women slowly faded and Cheza and the Elder shifted away from each other. The Elder had a hurt look on her old face.

"You're sure you're willing to brave this path your burdening yourself with young one?" the Elder's eyes warmly looked up at her.

"Yes…" Cheza nodded, "Please understand that this one is not being dominated or held against her will. This one only wishes to go to paradise with them." She looked back to her Lupine friends who were waiting for her now, "This one wants their happiness above all else. That is her wish." She whispered.

The Elder flower was speechless, "Then I can not hold ye here any longer. I will as the great spirits to help aid you in any way I can." She relented.

"This one is grateful. Thank you, Elder." Cheza bowed her respect.

Hige tensed up, "Hey she's here! That woman that's after Cheza!" Hige alerted the others.

"How can you tell?" Heart looked up, noting the heaviness of the clouds, "Aren't the rain clouds' moisture distorting the smell?"

Hige flicked his nose with the tip of his finger smugly, "Heh! With this royal sense of smell of mine, such weaknesses don't apply to me!" he grinned a full-toothed grin of a gloating wolf.

The thunder rolled above them while the wolves stepped outside of their tree-haven that had served its purpose well in hiding them from the humans. Tsume grimaced as he looked up to the sky in distaste, "Well Mr. Royal Nose, Why didn't you tell us the Rain was on its way then?"

Hige bristled, "I wasn't paying attention to the weather! Besides- my nose isn't meant to play WEATHER MAN!" he snorted, "Why, not wanting to get a bit wet, Tsume? Don't tell me you're part CAT now!"

No sooner had he said that, was Hige shoved to his back by an annoyed Tsume, "SAY THAT AGAIN, PORKY AND YOU WILL BE OUR NEXT MEAL!" Tsume snarled.

"Ok, ok, ok! Take a joke will ya!" Hige yelped, panting while he rolled back to his feet after Heart and Toboe dragged Tsume off of him. Hige tensed again when his nose caught something else, "Uh oh…"

"Uh-oh what?" Heart sighed, what else could go wrong?

"Is it the Scientist Lady?" Toboe tilt his head at her side.

"Yeah…. But," Hige shook his head, "Crap, you guys are never gonna guess this." He grimaced.

"What's wrong?" Kiba turned back to the group after he helped Cheza out of the Tree house door… thing.

"Well you see, the Scientist Woman is on her way… she was alone but now.. well…" Hige stuttered.

Tsume growled in annoyance and stood tall, inhaling deeply and glaring at what he found, "It's Akira as well. Akira's with her…." They all watched in horror as Toboe unthinkingly answered Akira's call, "Idiot!"

-..0. ...0.0.0.

"MEN!" Cher scoffed as she picked her way through the foliage and brush of the forest, "They just LOVE to go all macho on you and say things like, 'Oh yes! I know where the flower is magically! We don't need a woman's scanner thingy!' HE CALLED IT A THINGY!" she kicked a poor defenseless rock that was unfortunate enough to be in the way of the woman genius's wrathful high heel shoe toe, "Honestly! I've studied DUNG beetles smarter than most of this lot!" she shivered as the wind picked up while thunder roared gently over head, "Just great…. That's all I need…." Cher sighed exhaustedly, "One of the rarest spectacles of nature actually decides to happen while I'm out side… a rain storm." Huddling her coat closer to her petite frame Cher was surprised when the howling of the wind seemed … louder?

"Wind doesn't actually howl…." She murmured, "THE WOLVES!" she looked down at her scanner, it bleeped and brightened colorfully, overwhelm with the presence of Cheza somewhere near, "It must be them!" full of elation, Cher started to run forward, "CHEZZZAAAAAAH!" she called out, hoping the flower would come back to her once caretaker. The wind became stronger, quaking the tree branches around her as if they shivered in fear of the storms wrath, but still Cher ran. Her stylist high heels caught in the soft earth beneath her, yanking her bolt to a cringing HALT! Cher was sent forward, sans one high heel as she tumbled off the path and down a small slope into the forest. She brought her arms close to her body, covering her face while she rolled down the slope, cringing as she ran into some bushes, but otherwise, when she stopped ad the bottom, she was relatively unharmed. She paused a moment, catching her breath.

"Could've…. Done…. With out…. That…." She panted, slowly testing her body for injury. Her legs were scrapped, clothes rumpled and soiled, a few bruises here and there, but she was fine. Shakily, she pushed herself up to her knees, jerking upwards when a cold drop of rain dabbed her on the nose. A dull ache throbbed in her left foot- the one that was now shoeless, "Urrrgh!" she reached back to her right foot and tore off the other high heel, bringing it to her face and at it in all her anger before she chucked it into the forest with all her might, "DAMN IT!" she roared, and as if the sky heard her, lightning flashed over head and thunder boomed its answer. The sprinkles of droplets started to get quicker, the dirt beneath Cher started to get softer. Her worst enemy was slowly creeping up on her… mud.

Cher bolted up to her feet when she heard a yelp of pain come from where she threw her shoe, "ACK!" she shied back in surprise. Her wide blue eyes locked on the shadowy trees before her, "Who… who's there?"

A red dog limped out, whining and shaking its dirtied head as if to shake loose the something. It didn't even take notice of her as it hobbled on one leg, then another. Cher couldn't tell which leg was in the most pain since the poor thing kept switching the leg it favored. Cher noticed that it wasn't supposed to be a completely red dog, blood stained white fur on its underside dripped with wounds as the poor creature hobbled. A silver chain around its neck stood out sickly as the fur matted down and around it instead of poofing up and covering it in its healthy thickness. The rain started to down poor as the familiar creature finally jerked its head toward her, lowering its head and leveling her with a wary familiar orange glare….

"A… Akira?" she whispered uncertainly.

Black tipped ears shot up as Akira's head slowly lifted from its threatening level nestled between her shoulder blades. Cher smiled when the dog lowered her jaw, letting her tongue loll out the side happily and barked a greeting to her as she hobbled over warmly.

"Oh, Akira!" Cher rushed towards the dog, sinking to her knees in the rain, not caring that she was soaked to the bone now or that her hair was nearly loose of its usually tight bun at the back of her head or that she was marred in grass, twigs and mud. She embraced Akira's neck softly; aware of the wounds the poor girl must have hidden by the thick marred fur. Akira still wagged her tail weakly, leaning heavily on Cher, "Oh gods, I thought you were still back at Freeze City!" Cher pulled back to look Akira in the eye.

Akira nuzzled the woman fondly then whined as she pulled back and looked over her shoulder, "What is it?" Cher questioned, also looking over the wolf, fearful something had alerted her. But Akira turned her back to Cher and stared hobbling away, looking back to Cher with a light yip, and then continuing on hobbling away. Her black tipped ears perked when she heard a low howl in the rain. She tilt her small head back and answered it with a softer note in her own howl, bringing home to Cher just why the dog was out here…. Akira was with the wolves….

"The wolves… you're trying to go back to them aren't you?" Cher furrowed her brow in confusion, "But why? Didn't they cause all that's happened to you?" Cher was burned suddenly with the fury that those wolves could be the reason for Akira's condition.

Akira turned on her with a low growl, pinning back her ears. Looking very much like one of the wolves Cher was accusing. Cher took a step back wisely, and caught Akira's attention. The dog… no… wolf… the wolf perked up, as if realizing that she scared Cher, and almost looked… regretful? Akira lowered her head and whined an apology. Cher carefully approached the she-wolf again, "It's ok, Akira, I forgive you," she whispered. When she was able to get close enough to the rain-washed wounds she noticed a pattern, only some of the wounds were dealt by tooth and claw. The other, more brutal ones were bullet wounds and bruises too big to be done by a dog or even a wolf, "What's happened to you?" she looked into Akira's eyes sympathetically, "I gotta get you back to the base, I need to heal you!" Cher stood and reached for Akira's chain, tugging at it like she used to when Akira was a pup. Usually that's all it took to tell the pup that Cher wanted her to follow, but this time, Cher was met with resistance, "Akira?" she slowly let go of the chain while Akira backed off, looking back towards the direction the other howl had come from.

She's going to go back to them….

Cher admired the wolf for her stamina! She could barely walk straight, yet she was striving to get back to her pack, but the look in her determined orange eyes held a familiar sight to them. Cher could remember a time when Akira would sit there with Cher in the lab with Cheza. The young pup would stare up at the flower maiden floating in her holding tank, always watching with an awed devotion in her bright eyes…

"No… you're…" the device in Cher's hands started going off as she mechanically started to follow after Akira's foot steps, "You're going back to Cheza….aren't you…"

-..0. ...0.0.0-

"Ugggh- My… head…." He prolonged a suffering moan as the weight of cold, dark unconsciousness lifted from him and left him with the bright light of day while his eyes slowly opened up for what seemed like the first time in decades. They were soooo heavy….

'_Why does my head hurt so much…. And my body….'_ He slowly bent his arms behind him to attempt sitting up, gritting his teeth at the near painful effort that simple task too, "My body feels like there's something nipping at every inch of me from the inside out… hell what happened to me?" he ran a hand through hair along his forehead, noticing for the first time that his hair was a light blonde… almost platinum it would seem… why did he not recall what his own hair color was? He looked down at his hand, discovering it was a healthy tan he didn't recognize either…. He had no memory of his own body or anything… no name either…

"What's going on? Where am I?" he whispered bewildered while his gaze drifted from his own hand to the white pristine walls of the room around him. Cotton drapes drifted in the slight breeze of the tall windows that reached up to the ceiling hanging high above him where unlit torches lined the walls for light at night. The grey stones in the wall had a random, but elegant pattern to them, as they got bigger in size down to the floor that was solid white marble. There wasn't much else in the room other than himself, the four-poster bed he sat on and the fountain on the other side of the decent sized room. Everything was white; it was starting to make him feel even more disoriented than he already was. Looking down at himself, he noticed that even HE was in white. A pair of thin cotton pajama bottoms covered his lower half, leaving his upper body exposed. He almost crossed his eyes when a small glint of metal on his chest caught his attention. He slowly rose up a hand to take the silver chain in his fist and hold it up. So far it was the only color he'd found here other than his own bronze skin. Puzzled he let the chain's crucifix pendent twirl nonchalantly in front of his face. He felt a kinship with this trinket… like it connected him to something warm and nice.

"Ah, there you are." He jumped when the sudden deep voice startled him at the doorway, "Perfect, I was almost getting to worry about you."

His eyes darted towards the voice at the door, taking in the sight of the man who seemed older than himself. He stood out against the white of the room in his dark robes that held no hint of white in them other than his own pale skin. His dark hair had a green-turquoise sheen to it as it fell perfectly straight to his shoulders. A black eye patch covered one eye while the other one looked over him with feigned warmth belied in the coldness of the deep blue of the iris. Like a hawk observing the young rabbit, deciding how it would swoop down and break its neck before it ripped it to shreds for its next meal. To say this man put him off was an understatement but he didn't know why his hackles wanted to rise at the mere sight of this dark-haired, pale man.

"Sorry, but who are you and…. Where am I?" he asked looking around and trying to stand on his own, finding it only slightly difficult. His strength must be returning to him. He grinned in triumph. Good, now he didn't feel so weak! He could stand!

"You, boy, are safely here in your rooms of my Keep. You will be residing here for from now." The man's deep voice left much to be desired in the way he bluntly described everything, but it was all the poor boy had to go by, "And I am your Lord of the Keep, Darcia." Darcia inclined his head in greeting, which the boy fumbled to mirror, guessing that was a formality he should remember.

"Ah, Lord Darcia," he tested the name on his tongue, wondering why it felt shameful to say that, "Why am I here?"

Darcia smiled, but it did not reach his eyes, "Curious, aren't we? But that's to be expected I suppose." The noble seemed to shrug a bit with an intrigued look, "You're here, Brother Wolf, are here because you were chosen to help perform a ritual."

"Wolf?" the boy looked down at himself confused when he saw a human body, "Is that my name? Forgive me, but I'm afraid this….Ritual or what ever may very well have messed with my memory." He grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, boy. Wolf is not your name. It is what you _are._" The man elaborated patiently, "Your name is Jasper."

"Jasper…" he tried the name out and nodded, letting his hand fall back to his side, feeling more confidant now that he had a name, "Yes, it seems familiar enough to me… but if I am a Wolf…" he looked down at himself in confusion then back at Darcia, "Why am I in a human body then? Is this part of the ritual as well?"

"No, that's not quite right." Darcia shook his head, praying for patience, "You see, wolves like yourself have managed to trick human kind by taking on the form of a human themselves. The humans once hunted them down, believing they were bringers of death and demons, forcing the wolf to stay in their human forms more often and longer, but they still have to revert to their true form periodically or they can never return to their true wolf form ever again and their line of offspring become barren of the trait wolves have."

"So I too have a wolf form then?" Jasper tilt his head, "Or have I stayed human for too long?"

"No boy." Darcia rolled his eye, "If you wish to be wolf all you need is to simply have a passing thought of the change. Just like moving your own arm." He smirked while the boy that stood by the bed suddenly became the large silver wolf he had found nearly dead running away from Freeze City not so long ago, "See for yourself in the fountain if you will." He nodded to the waters.

The large silver wolf hesitated, but made his way over to the water slowly and peered in quizzical. What stared back at him was a handsome, long-furred silver beast with one green wolfs eye and one blue eye that looked more human than wolf. He tilt his head, the black tips of his ears twitching curiously while his bushy light tail raised behind him, "I have two different colors of eyes in this form?" he turned to look at Darcia over his shoulder, "Why is that?"

"One represents your wolf heritage while one is human. It is one of the signs that our Blood Bond is complete." Darcia approached him. Jasper felt the urge to snarl at him, and didn't hold back the urge of bearing his fangs at him while Darcia lifted his eye patch, startling Jasper to silence for a moment. There staring back at him was the haunting glower of a green eye of a wolf, "I have your bone, your blood, and your magic flowing through me just as you share my blood and bone. We're brothers now… think of me as long lost family… that controls your every move." Darcia's grin twisted into a sinister one that delighted in the way Jasper backed away, now snarling at him once again.

"You…." Jasper's head swam with memories flooding through him. Mom, Pa, and Akira! Being a wolf, a guard dog at Freeze City- the scent of Cheza and the sight of her in that capsule suspended above him… Darcia… the man that took him in when he could barely move from the wounds he'd taken from fighting off hunters. Darcia had killed those men that were armed with strange stun-guns, but then handed him over to his own scientists… after that all he remembered was pain, "IT WAS YOU! YOU DARED TO TAKE MY BLOOD, YOU DAMNED NOBLE!" the wolf spat, lowering himself to a stance and breathing in heavily to take in the scent around him, trying to get a feel for where he was, but he paused for a moment when he smelt human on his own fur. He turned his head slightly to smell himself and found the scent was heavily ingrained in more than his fur…

"You… You really Blood Bonded to me?" he was astonished that there had been a human who knew the old ways the wolf elders once hushed about to pups during story times of the winter, "WHY! TELL ME WHY, HUMAN! DON'T YOU HATE WOLVES? YOU HUMANS HUNT US DOWN LIKE VERMIN, ESPECIALLY NOBLES?" he demanded fiercely.

"Don't be so suspicious, brother wolf." Darcia replied with a calmed collectiveness that set every warning sign Jasper had off like a fire alarm in a fire works show, "If I recall correctly, you yourself worked side by side with humans. You've even come to cherish the human race where your own mother ran away after giving birth to your dear little half-sister, isn't that right?" Darcia's eyes leered at the surprised wolf, "Diya, isn't it? The half-blood that took you in and then gave birth to Akira… right?"

"H…How do you…" Jasper was stunned, his bi-colored eyes wide in shock as his body shook with sudden fear, "What have you DONE to them? WHERE ARE THEY!" he demanded, snapping out of his shock and flaming his fear to fury as he crouched down, ready to pounce soon as Darcia made a wrong move.

Darcia crossed his arms before his chest and gave a small snickering snort, "Hmph, I have done nothing with your precious family- they are not my concern at the moment. You are."

"Damn RIGHT I am you're concern!" Jasper bit out through gnashed sharp teeth as his growl rumbled through the white room, "I'll RIP OUT YOUR THROAT YOU FUCKIN NOBLE!"

"You see the thing about this whole Blood Bond thing is," Darcia paused, easily side stepping the silver wolfs' rage-blinded charge for him, "You and I are connected as a nearly one being. Anything you do to me happens to you. It's a bond I forged between us so I could become what has been lost for centuries since Darcia the first foolishly cast out his Wolf side to lead those who had already fallen and became Human! Only wolves may open up paradise, but whoever initially opens it controls it." His smirk deepened when a new level of hate dawned on the wolfs features as he turned to face Darcia once again.

"You… YOU MONSTER!" he barked, "It's NOT your place to intrude, HUMAN!" with a snarl, he arched his back, all the fur along it, and even up to the tip of his tail stood on end while his paws splayed far apart in a bracing way. He was ready and waiting to attack once again soon as the opportunity presented its self, but with the blood bond restricting him, Jasper felt his body grow heavy even with the mere thought of attacking Darcia again. It was like the blood inside him was rebelling and forcing him to stay still, "The bond doesn't work that way Darcia!" Jasper spat, "Just bonding to a wolf when your line has been barren of the gene for so long will not eventually evolve you back to being a wolf!"

"Let me clue you in on the ace in the hole, dear brother wolf," Darcia grinned devilishly as he approached Jasper with all the confidence in the world.

"Don't call me your brother! I'd sooner kill myself than hear you say it again!" Jasper snarled.

Darcia ignored him and stood only two feet away from the wolf's face and knelt down to be eye level, "The Darcia clan once opened our own paradise with the blood of the wolf, but it didn't last. Since it went against everything the prophecy foretold, God punished my clan severely and made sure that no other false paradise could be opened again unless done so by a wolf- his chosen to be the protectors and seekers of paradise." Darcia sneered at the thought, "The paradise failed, and trapped any soul unlucky enough to have been inside the paradise while it was torn apart. I was the last to escape somehow even though I turned back to help my father and beloved Homena escape like the others." He traced the glowering wolf eye on his face with a pale finger, "This eye, though it now holds true to your coloring was once golden. I was cursed with it when God saw fit to take my father and beloveds' souls and trap them in the fallen paradise forever then returned me to the realm of the living. This eye slowly transforms my form as it is now to that of the monster you are, but never fully able to reach that form before I die. He did that so I too would suffer in the living and find no rest afterwards in hell." He gripped Jasper's chain and dragged him close, almost nose to nose with the snarling wolf. He was grinning like a mad man and that's just what Jasper thought of him- this human had gone insane, "I intend to open up the wolfs paradise anyways. I will restore my fathers paradise and take back what God himself ripped from my heart!" he snarled tightening his grip on Jasper enough to nearly choke him, but Jasper held firm.

"You think that bonding to MY blood will speed up your curse so you can become a complete wolf before you die…" Jasper summed up.

"Oh with your blood it will be very much quicker before I die," Darcia grinned.

"And you believe I will just HELP YOU DEFILE MY PEOPLE'S HOLY LAND?" Jasper snapped his jaws with out warning at Darcia's arm, forcing him off Jasper's chain. The silver wolf backed away and bent low, snarling in red hot anger, "I'll kill you now, even if I die, it's better than helping a monster like you!" he leaped in the air, claws and teeth at the ready to tear into the noble before him, but Darcia didn't even try to avoid him. His ever-present smug face watched the wolf get inches away from him before he said something that completely brought Jasper to his knees…

"Don't you know that a _dog_ should HEEL when his master is speaking?" Darcia grinned madly as he held out a hand. An invisible force pulsed from his body and barreled into Jasper head on, knocking him back and then forcing him down to the ground with an unrelenting force. The wolf growled as he tried to regain his feet but the pressure holding him down was too much and a red light burned around his body each time he resisted the force, sending painful shocks into each joint of his body.

Darcia slowly circled the restrained wolf, kneeling down at his face and petting the fur atop Jaspers head almost fondly. Jasper wanted nothing more than to rebuke and jerk his head away, but the force held him down unmoving. Darcia started to whisper his final words to his now submissive servant, "When paradise opens, it will be when our dear moon bleeds the color of blood. The flower will unlock paradise's power but only if it is in the presence of the Full or New moon. Whichever holds the favor of the Red Moon will be the one who shapes the new paradise the flower has unlocked. So says the ancient scrolls of the Book of the Moon." He said softly with an affection that startled Jasper.

"Human's shouldn't know of that prophecy…." The wolf stilled from his feeble attempts to break the submission spell. His eyes trained on the mirror images of them in Darcia's own, waiting for an answer.

"Wolves are the only species gifted with the talent of intellect." Darcia chided, gently bobbing Jasper's nose with his finger as if disciplining a bad puppy for chewing up the paper, "Seeing as I am a hybrid of both, let's just say that I have my ways of knowing." He then stood up and turned his back on the snarling wolf.

"You may know of the prophecy but unless you grasp it's meaning you're still in the wild goose chase of eternity!" Jasper snapped with a grin, "Don't think that your little Blood Bond can force information out of me either!"

"Silly wolf." Darcia stood at the door, looking over his shoulder to Jasper with a look of someone who knew they were the highest of the hierarchy, "Don't you know that once _ascended _the New Moon instinctively can tell who the Red Moon and Full Moon are? Just as they can soon as they _ascend_ and realize their true purpose of this life." He took pleasure that once again Jasper was rendered speechless, "You won't be lonely here for long, dear Brother Wolf. Soon enough you will be reunited with your sister. She'll be my guest of honor." With that he closed the door with a heavy THUD. Soon as he was gone, the submissive spell wore off.

Jasper had been fighting it off for so long that soon as it let up he fell forward, but this time he didn't bother getting back up. His heart was in too much of a state of shock. He felt numb, his limbs weak and breathing heavy. He knew...

From the day Akira had been born, Sasuke and Diya knew who she was. She was born under the light of the red moon and her fur was a color that rivaled its crimson flare while eyes glowed orange. Even when Diya left them, Sasuke had made Jasper promise to keep his sister's identity a secrete. He had thought he was the last to know of it since Sasuke was gone now and Diya was unknown… but somehow… Darcia knew too.

And he's the incarnation of the New Moon….

"Akira…." Jasper whispered.

_**A/n-**__ Aaaaannnnd cue the angry mob of readers! _

…_. I'M SORRY! Life got a little carried away and when I had the time to write it was hard to get inspiration to actually write well because I wanted this to be better than before! Lol! That and… I have to confess to something…_

_I only just NOW started realizing how good Dragon Ball Z actually is! I mean come on! Once you find the plot you get hooked worse than a crack whore on crack! Lol probably wont make a fic of that one though unless something just HITS me ya know… hopefully no pun goes with that…_

_**Review responses:**_

**Kaiyt: **_It tickles me pink when people say they love my story! I'm so proud that everyone seems to like the changes! I love writing Toboe too! He's so much fun to use his innocents as a pun at times! Hehe!_

**PussycatLover: **_Cousins? Wow! So you two really are related? COOL! Hehe, and you're welcome for the scene and thanks for the compliment about my drawings! I have a lot more just no scanner to upload them to the computer on! It's a bummer!_

**KillerHotFeline:**_ I love playing with Kiba more now! When I was younger I didn't quite know how to write all the types of emotions for each of the characters but I'm feeling more confidant now in writing Kiba! He was rarely jealous in the original but since he's now at my disposal… hehe! The last chapter was a bit of a let down wasn't it? The edits were rushed, but this one I rewrote nearly all the sentences! Lol that's why it took so long so I could try and morph it a bit and thicken the plot!_

**Canis simensis: **_I'm still trying to get a way to get my newer drawings up, but I think I've been slacking on my wolves! Now that I look back to my work from 5 years ago I'm like…. Hmm I drew them kinda better then lol_

**Venom: **_Hopefully you enjoyed this new chappy as much as the last one! The drawing where Heart is holding her gun was kinda inspired by that scene where she's pointing it at Hige lol! I didn't realize she looked like Angelina Jolie until my roommate at the time asked if I was drawing an anime version of her and I was like… she really is an anime version of Angelina isn't she? Lol_

**Amber: **_Lol Kiba can be a cold bastard, but if he wasn't that way he wouldn't be as fun for me to manipulate at times like this lol!_

**Bleach1fan: **_BLEACH ALL THE WAY! WHOOT! I once thought I knew the answer to why it was called Bleach… but then my idea was shot down when I spoke it, so now I have no idea, but I STILL LOVE THAT SHOW! Hehe, Heart does look like Blue doesn't she?_

**Carnage: **_Thanks for the compliment :) don't worry, the carnage is coming better and bloodier than before if I have anything to say about it! _

**Wolfsbane: **_Sorry I didn't update the fic as quickly as I thought, but I hope this chappy makes up for it! I'm having issues getting down time to actually write, so I was reeeeeally happy when I finished this chapter!_

**Anon: **_I was surprised no one complained for this long either!_

**Hachiko: **_You just started? YAY! ANOTHER NEWBIE! (GLOMPS) I hope the extended leave of abesnse didn't steer you away!_

**Luriaz Seint: **_(blushes) awww thank you soooo much! If you still want to draw, please by all means do so! I would looooove to see how they turn out, so keep me posted on that! Cookies for you!_

**Vongola Ottavo: **_You name is so cool! Even though I have no idea what it means, I keep trying to say it out loud and failing but its sooo cool! Lol hope this satisfies your yearning for a while!_

**Carnage: (again) **_ yup, I'm still here! Lol just took me a while! XD_


	9. Chapter 8 Escape, ESCAPE!

_My best friend gave me the best advice_

_He said each day's a gift and not a given right_

_Leave no stone unturned _

_leave your fears behind_

_and try to take the path lest traveled by_

_that first step you take could be your longest stride…._

_If today was your last day_

_Tomorrow was too late_

_Could you say goodbye to yesterday_

_Would you live each moment like your last_

_Leave old pictures in the past_

_Donate everything you had_

_Would you call those friends you never see_

_Reminisce of memories_

_Would you forgive your enemies?_

_If today was your last day_

_**NickleBack: If today was your last Day**_

Chapter 8- Escape, Escape!

Orchem's soldiers watched in awe as the mecha machines of Lady Jagura's troops lazily passed by. They were the enemy and yet Orchem's soldiers had NOT been attacked.

"Why don't we just SHOOT them?" a frustrated foot soldier rasped, gripping his gun tighter.

"Stand down, you fool! Don't you know that bullets don't work on those guys?" his commanding officer hissed quietly as a solid gold tanker rumbled pass their hiding hole. The five of them were only lookout soldiers, but when they relayed the message of Jagura's troops intruding on sight where Orchem's troops were looking for the Target, the Commander had told them to stand down. Not twenty minutes later did Lady Jagura's troops retreat. It was bizarre!

"They waltz around like they OWN everything!" one spat.

"They do own everything." Another shoved his comrade.

"Shush!" the commanding officer hissed back at them, "They do not own these lands yet! Orchem has NOT fallen just yet!"

"Then why are they here?"

"They're…. searching. Those forms aren't battle positions." One soldier observed, "The tanks positions around the men are all wrong…"

"Then are they after the Target too?"

The others shrugged.

Up in the sky, an Air-ship hovered over Jagura's ground troops. It was the flagship of the entire mission-army, gleaming in the dull light of the sky with its gold plaited shell enforced with the strongest known element to mankind. The inside of the impressive machine looked more like luxurious mansion than a war ship. Instead of soldiers mulling about, servants and maids scurried around. Few soldiers were working the computers in the bridge, but most of the ships operations were done with artificial inelegance.

A young woman with platinum silver hair that fell down to her waste sat tall in her cushioned throne at the center of the bridge. She wore white silk robes fit for a Greek goddess and light armor for protection. A red cape cascaded behind her, showing her high rank among these people on her Lady's ship. Her orange eyes surveyed the men and women that bustled about before her in boredom as she rest the side of her chin on her fist propped up by her elbow on the armrest of her throne. Irritation nipping at her, the young woman was just short of shouting out to the noisy servants to stop dusting and re-dusting or mopping and RE-mopping EVERYTHING!

This was a warship… not a cruise ship.

Then again, Lady Jagura insisted on the both to be combined.

"Captain!" the woman was jarred out of her loathing for her Lady's high-class standards when materializing before her was the tall, wide-chested android with his back stiff and straight, chin held high and voice… booming. Couldn't the technicians come up with anything better for a Ship's personality to materialize as? This android was a big OAF that was supposed to represent the ship called Elorrah!

She groaned, massaging her temple with two fingers, "I recall informing you that it's wiser to speak SOFTER from now on, didn't I?"

"Yes Ma'me!" the Elorrah was still booming, "I bring news!"

She glared at him, wishing that Lady Jagura had not forbade her from killing any of their soldiers anymore with out viable reasons, and the ships android speakers were no different. Oh she had viable reasons…. Just no one else could see her point!

"Speak then, and make it quick." She rolled her eyes, wiping her palm down her face and counting backwards from ten in an attempt to hold back her violent nature that savagely clawed at her with so many dimwitted humans around.

"Ms. Lauralai has been confiscated! Coordinates set back for Home!"

"Laura?" the woman snapped up, suddenly interested, "What do you mean confiscated? Where is she now?" she looked left to right eagerly, putting her palms on the armrests to push herself off the throne.

"Location of Ms. Lauralai confirmed." The android's eyes flashed as he connected to the ships database, "Location: stock barracks."

"STOCK BARRACKS!" she roared in her anger. The only one who didn't flinch was the android Elorrah. He was too mechanical to care about his captain's outbursts. No fear of losing his life.

"Yes, Ma'me!" he confirmed.

"Are you out of your MIND!" she stood sharply, grabbing a fist full of the front of his uniform and hauling him nose-to-nose with her. Her teeth bared, canine's sharpened as her orange eyes bore into his mechanically dull ones, "Why is she in the barracks! She is not to be treated so callously! Who did this to her!" she demanded.

"It is protocol, Ma'me." Elorrah stated, "In-human confiscations go to stock barrack."

"She is NOT an animal!"

"Error." Elorrah droned, "Ms. Lauralai is in fact not human. Protocol accepted."

She shoved him away, "Forget it!" she turned tail sharply and proceeded to stomp her way to the _stock barracks_. Her red cape lashed about in her wake.

"Ma'me!" the captain was forced to stop short when Elorrah suddenly materialized in front of her.

"Stop doing that!" she growled, taken by surprise at his sudden appearance.

"Request noted- Access to stock barracks for Captain Diya is prohibited." Elorrah moved in her path when she tried to side step him to go on anyways.

"And just who prohibits it, you useless can opener?" she growled, feeling the beast with in her raise its hackles at the thought of being barred from the child she adopted as her own.

"Input of order: Lady Jagura." Her replied.

Diya froze, "Jagura did this?" She knew Jagura always issued mild punishments on Laura when the albino pup successfully escaped, but to not allow Diya near the pup wasn't like the Noble born woman. Though Diya hated her, she had been gracious to her mutually Blood Bonded master in return that the she-devil spared Lauralai's life and did nothing to harm the pup, giving Diya full control over her. The only set back was that Laura wasn't supposed to escape. She was to be every bit a prisoner to Jagura as Diya was.

Jagura was up to something….

000000….00000000000….0000000000

The cool rain stung at their eyes as wolf and woman slowly made their journey into the forest. Cher, having lost both her shoes now, tried her best to ignore the goo of the mud sloshing between her toes. The wind had seen to it that her hair was torn from its usual bun and the wind took all warmth her clothing should have provided. She bent low, one hand resting lightly on the back of the small red canine companion that limped along, enduring the storm just as painstakingly as Cher was.

Akira gritted her teeth and whimpered as her freshly healed wounds started to reopen since she hadn't given them time to heal completely by resting. They itched and stung as the rainwater did little to keep the splashing mud out of her injuries, causing her to hiss sharply. She had never had to endure this kind of pain before, but she stubbornly pushed herself to ignore it and carry on, wanting to see Cheza again and the pack. Her only promising thought was that she would probably be able to rest once she reached them.

She was losing the trail of her fellow wolves. The rain and wind clogged her nose that had a hard enough time, as it was to track down anything with out stormy weather to fight against. Her only sense of direction now was the pull she felt that usually led her to Cheza, but even that lead had her skeptical about the direction she was going. Cher seemed determined to follow her till the very end as she gently held a hand on the wolf's back, letting Akira lead her in the storm. Akira whimpered in worry, '_What will the others do to her if she follows me all the way back to them?'_ she thought, peering up at her human friend.

Every small noise or twitch of Akira's body set Cher's nerves on over drive. She was so worried about her canine companion, having never seen an animal gather enough strength to even move in this damaged condition Akira was in. Ancient archives foretold that wolves were able to heal at a much faster rate than humans, but Akira's seemed sluggish compared to what Cher had thought the archives had entailed. The doctor in her also knew that wounds were still wounds, fast healing or no, and if Akira didn't stop and rest to let whatever healing powers she had take hold, then they wouldn't close completely and she could risk infection. She wondered just how much her newly discovered wolf-blood friend had always known all of this with would happen even when she watched over Cheza back at Freeze City or if this was just as bizarre to her as it was to Cher.

She had to hold herself back from stopping Akira and examining her scientifically, cursing herself for not doing so back in Freeze City. All this time she and the others had thought wolves to be extinct when in fact they had their own little family of wolves in the canine division. So many loose ends of the legend of wolves could have been tied, but human ignorance once again stumped her. She only hopped Akira would let her tag along when they reached Cheza. Cher missed the flower very much, having been her caretaker for so long.

A pair of yellow eyes flashed behind Cher's eyes at the memory of the other wolves that were also out there. Cher's breath caught and she felt goose bumps speckle about her body in sudden anxiety, '_What of the others?'_ she knew Akira would never harm her intentionally, but the other wolves might be protective of the flower and attack her for intruding on their sacred quest.

'_Can all this be true? Are the wolves really searching for Paradise with Cheza?'_ Cher felt like she had just stepped into a fairytale!

Cher gasped in surprise when Akira slipped in the mud with a yelp and a whine, landing flat on her belly beside Cher, "Akira! Are you alright?" she knelt down quickly checking over Akira's wounds, grimacing at the expense of them. It was even worse than she thought… Glaring up at the opened sky, Cher bent down to scoop up the small canine in her arms. Akira groaned in protest and tried to wriggle away, but Cher stopped her.

"Look I know you're in pain, but we can't keep walking like this or one of your legs are going to fall off!" Cher snapped, heaving the dog up in her arms like a toddler and slowly carrying her under a tree to the side of the muddy path. She gently set the wolf down on her side in the soft mossy patch between the roots of the large tree. Ancient vines tangled their way up the massive trunk while thick branches refused to let the rain though, providing shelter to Cher and Akira below. Full blooming white flowers ran along the vines up the tree, giving off a scent that would have pleased Cher if she weren't so preoccupied with Akira's wounds at the moment.

She ran her soft hands through the soiled fur, taking note of each dip and jagged tare of a wound as she did. Checking Akira's legs she sighed when she found no broken bones, only a few deep wounds with many minor ones and a bullet wound, but there was an identical wound on the opposite side, indicating that the bullet had gone through. She wondered if it had some sort of poison in it, since Akira's wounds weren't fairing as well as she would have thought.

She caught a worrisome whimper coming from Akira as the red wolf tried to sit up, her orange eyes looking up at her with a question that Cher understood. She tried to comfort Akira, soothing the fur on her head with a gentle hand massaging between her ears, "It's not as bad as it looks, girl," she lied.

Akira suddenly tensed, her orange eyes flashing up just moments before Cher was startled by someone landing directly behind her, "WHAT THE-," another boy landed to her left, cutting her off while Cher shot to her feet, putting her back to Akira and the tree, "Who are-," yet another boy landed to her right, effectively caging her in between the threesome and the tree, "What do you want!" she demanded, looking over the three intruders. They all seemed very young. The oldest being the one that held an air of arrogance to him. He wore leather and had his silver hair tied back into a rat-tail at his nape. His golden eyes bore into hers, keeping them captive and she could hardly bring herself to look away. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed his two companions seemed a lot less intimidating than the silver-hair. Neither of them scowled at her, but they were standing in a way that meant she wasn't getting past them.

"We'll be taking the bitch back with us now, woman." The silver-hair said. His voice sharp and dark, leaving no room for questions or compromise. He looked down at Cher as if he were looking down on an insect that was hardly worth his time, "You can run along back to wherever you came from and leave this to us now."

"No!" Cher stomped her foot in the mud, holding up her arms to shield Akira behind her, "You will _not_ harm her!" she defiantly rebuked.

They seemed to ignore her posturing threats. The silver-hair's eye lids hooded with a look akin to annoyance as he looked over his shoulder to a dark haired young woman Cher only just now realized was there, "The human refuses to leave."

"What's she doing here with her anyways?" the woman inquired as she sauntered up behind the silver-hair to peer around his wide frame at Cher. Her red eyes only briefly looked over Cher before they darted down the wounded animal behind her. Suspicion morphed into anxious worry. With movements Cher couldn't follow, the red-eyed woman was behind Cher, crouching over the wolf.

"HEY!" Cher turned to shoo the woman off Akira, but the stockier boy with a fluff of brown hair on his head restrained her by snatching her wrists behind her back. Cher tugged and yanked to avail, "Unhand me!" she snapped at the boy behind her who just chuckled.

"Feisty isn't she?" he chuckled.

"Cut it out Hige," the younger one across from her glared at the boy behind her, "She might have hurt Akira and all you can think of is how pretty she is," he rolled his honey golden eyes, crossing his youthful-thin arms about his chest.

The black-haired woman slowly backed off Akira, who had yet to move. The red female seemed just as startled by their sudden appearance as Cher was. A pair of red eyes that stared at her suddenly confronted Cher, the woman purposefully put herself in Cher's personal space, but Cher held her own, glaring her blue eyes right back. Red eye's narrowed dangerously with more fire than Cher's own eyes could ever muster. There was a certain intimidating feel to the woman that in a way was more lethal than the snappish silver-hair.

"Is it true?" the red-eyed woman accused, "Did you wound her?"

"Wound her?" Cher was taken aback, "No, never! I found her in the gutters…" Cher replied.

Cher's heart raced with fear as the foursome didn't seem to buy it. Simultaneously they each turned to the boy restraining her. She felt his large hands tighten on her wrists from behind her as he snorted a puff of air though his nostrils as if he smelt something foul.

"She's lying!" he hissed, "The stench of fear is burning my nose!"

Now she'd done it! Cher's eyes wildly darted around to each of them, noting that while they had all been relaxed before, now they were crowding her. The female held up her hand, as if to make the boys back off.

"Heart..?" the youngster voiced what the others thought. The varying shades of golden brown in their eyes flashing with similar emotions of confusion and slight irritation.

"I'll ask this _ONE," _Heart slowly pulled out her pistol and held it up to Cher's head, cocking it at the ready as she spoke, "More. Time…." She paused for effect, leveling her red gaze with Cher's frightened blue one, "What did you do to her?"

"No! wait!" Cher struggled back, "I swear I didn't-,"

A sharp bark drew their attention away from Cher, giving her time to heave a sigh of relief. The boy was shoved off her, in his place, Akira curved her small body around the back of Cher's legs. Her orange eyes darting to each of them as she softly yipped and growled in a language they seemed to understand.

"Akira! What gives!" the boy that was shoved away hissed from somewhere behind Cher. The scientist barely looked over her shoulder, too afraid to leave sight of the gun being held to her forehead, to see him sprawled on his back, rubbing his head as if it had been hit on something, "Why'd you kick me like that!"

Akira snapped a sharp woof at them.

"What do you mean 'Leave her alone'?" the dark woman with the gun snorted, "You know she's after Cheza, don't you? Even _you_ can smell the scent of the soldiers on her! She's in league with them!" as if that reminded her why she had out the gun, Cher swallowed a yelp when the cold metal of the gun was pressed to her heated forehead. Nervous sweat began to inch down her brow.

'_Cheza?_' Cher's sharp mind quickly connected the dots, '_Wait…'_ looking them over again, each of them did seem familiar in a way, '_It's them! They were the ones running with Cheza back at the Darcia Family Ruins!'_

'-She won't hurt any of you or Cheza!' Akira barked out, being sure that Cher wouldn't understand her. Her orange eyes narrowed on Heart, '-_Put that away!'_ she demanded.

"Are you serious!" Hige gnashed his teeth together, "What are you: a human or a wolf! Why are you taking the human's side!" he demanded, "Don't you dare think of putting that thing down Heart! This Lady's got it coming," he huffed and Heart nodded in agreement.

'-Just leave her alone!' Akira insisted once again as she weaved her way around to the front of Cher, favoring her right shoulder where the bullet hand gone through, '-Let her leave in peace!'

"If we do that, then she's sure to report back to her little friends back with the human military! What then, Akira?" Tsume demanded.

'-I _won't _let you hurt her!' Akira bit back in a show of defiance none of them had seen before. Usually she wilted back and quickly became submissive when Tsume got too threatening but now show raised her hackles and bore her teeth at him, showing that she was serious this time!

Heart's hand holding the gun lowered slightly, but it was still a danger to Cher as it was now pointed to her heart, "Akira…." Heart searched the younger wolf's eyes for answers Cher couldn't understand, but the moment was cut short.

"Let her go." Cher and the others looked up to the new voice that sounded from the branches above in the tree, "She's no threat to us Heart. Sheath your weapon." Cher almost wanted to cry in relief when the ancient relic of a gun was instantly drawn away from her and returned to its sheath at the woman's belt.

Her heart fluttered once more in relief she saw Cheza. Her small porcelain hand cradled in the young man's much larger one, Cher assumed he was the one who spoke. Like the others he was also very familiar. His blue eyes bore down on them stoically, he held an air of authority even though his wild short mane of chocolate brown hair gave him the look of someone much younger. Cher was amazed at how relaxed and alive Cheza seemed. Her wide red eyes were cast down to them in a curious way with a crease of worry on her brow, but Cher knew she couldn't see them… could she some how SENSE them?

"But Kiba-," the stocky shaggy haired one protested.

The one called Kiba sent him a meaningful look that silenced him, "She's unarmed. There's no need to bother with her. Let's go."

Cher felt a sharp burst of a cool shock run up her spine and in that instant, in place of kids around her stood impressive, large canine creatures… WOLVES!

'_I knew it!'_ Cher thought as her scientific mind quickly took note of her new discovery, '_they were wolves! And they can shift easily from human to animal form!'_ she stayed still wisely, not wanting to provoke the predatory animals when they were being called off from her. If she provoked them now, she didn't know how in-tune to their baser instincts they were, they might attack her.

The dark haired young woman had become a raven-black furred wolf with a cute upside down heart on her forehead that belied the danger of the beast. The young one was a rustic red, the stocky a dirty brown, and the silver was a healthy deep grey. They shared a questioning look between them before glancing briefly back to Cher before they finally heeded their leaders command and backed off. One by one disappearing into the foliage around the tree. Cher looked up to Cheza, her eyes in shock when she saw a white wolf with yellow-golden eyes at the flowers' side. Cheza sat astride his back as he bounded down to the forest floor and waited for the others to pass. He bent down, letting Cheza slide of his back. The female black wolf quickly took the white one's place at Cheza's side, letting Cheza grasp the fur on her back so the black one could lead her after the others. Cher's heart started to drop as she realized her beloved flower was leaving again!

"No, wait CHEZA!" Cher reached out her hand for the flower and started to follow, but the white wolf blocked her path. His golden gaze caught hers in a stern warning. He didn't need to growl to get his point across that Cher was not permitted to follow the flower or his pack any further. Cher gulped down her fear and took a step back, still not confidant in herself around these mythical creatures. She did her best to stay perfectly still and not look him in the eye, hoping that would keep his anger at bay.

Cher felt Akira fall behind her with a groan of pain, "Oh gods!" Cher almost forgot, "AKIRA!" she quickly turned to the wounded she-wolf, noting that her orange eyes were going hazy, "They really were poisoned?" she referred to the bullet that must have been used to shoot down the wolf.

The white wolf was suddenly nearly nose-to-nose with Cher as he looked over Akira from across Cher. Akira whined up at them as her shoulder twitched. The bullet holes on both sides of the wound were an angry purple and puffed up around the wound.

"What have you done to her?" Cher's head snapped up in surprise to the voice. There were no other humans around, but the voice seemed to have come from the white wolf glaring at her menacingly.

"Wh-Wha?" she dumbly replied.

"Akira! Why is Akira poisoned!" he demanded with a snap of his jaws that had Cher falling back off her heels.

"I didn't do this to her!" Cher fought back the urge yell at the wolf, knowing that yelling at a dominative beast wasn't the best way to stay alive, "She was already shot when I found her! The poison probably only just now took full effect! She was too stubborn to let me know about it earlier," she tried her best to explain, but soon as she seemed to convince him that she wasn't the one to hurt his fellow wolf, he ignored her.

"What sort of poison is this?" he demanded softly as his golden gaze locked on to Akira's tightly closed eyes. She was panting heavily.

"I don't know what's poisonous to wolves. No one has ever had the chance to study you. It could be anything!" Cher was near hysterics now.

"Silver, what about silver?" he demanded, "Do your men use silver in their bullets?"

Cher thought for a moment, "No, not Lord Orchems men. Silver is Lady Jagura's troops insignia."

"Jagura?" the wolf tilt his head.

"A rival Noble of Lord Orchem. She reins over the Northern Lands."

'_Great, there's more than ONE noble family then…' _Kiba took a mental note. His white ears perked at some nose he heard in the distance. The rain was stopping now and his senses were able to expand to wider lengths than during the storm.

"Your men are on their way." Kiba shifted to human form, startling Cher again with the suddenness of the change. With out a word, he bent down, scooping up the poisoned she-wolf.

"Where are you taking her!" Cher demanded standing up as well and blocking him from leaving, "She needs medical attention! If you take her now she'll die!"

"If I leave her here with you, they will kill her." He nodded back in the direction he sensed Orchem's troops with a sharp yank of his chin.

There was nothing left for Cher to say. She could only watch in awe as he started to carry off her red-furred friend. She stepped aside, letting him pass. He nodded back to her gratefully, then turned as if to leave.

'-No…Kibahh," Akira weakly protested, reaching paw back towards Cher, '-We can't … leav her…"

"She'll only slow us down," he replied shortly as he reached the tree line, "Besides she's calling the soldiers as we speak."

'-No she's not. She wouldn't do that to us." She defended. Kiba was amazed she had enough energy in her to stand up for the human.

"Maybe not intentionally, but the soldiers ARE coming. They've probably bugged her and I won't let you get captured because you want to stay with your silly human friends! You're poisoned as it is and she didn't know the cause even though she's a doctor!" he snapped, "No, I'm taking you to Cheza. She can heal you because she'll know instantly what's wrong with you. If I let the humans try to heal you, you'll be dead before they can guess how to try to heal you." He bared his teeth, "So sit tight, shut up, and LET ME GET YOU TO SAFETY!"

'-And I said NO!" with a burst of strength neither Cher or Kiba could understand Akira flung herself out of Kiba's surprised arms, flailing in her landing as she struggled to stand up on her own in wolf form. She whirled around on Kiba, snarling her defiance in an open challenge that set him of before he realized what she was doing.

"TOO BAD!" he barked back still in human form, clenching his fist, "Don't you realize you're HALF-DEAD as it is!"

'-I WON'T LEAVE HER!" Akira snapped back in defiance. Both were eye to eye by now, glaring at one another while pressing a human forehead with a very fury wolf one while orange surged streaks of lightening into blue.

Cher knew the soldiers would be here and they had orders to shoot wolves. She didn't think they'd spare Akira no matter what she told them, "Akira," her voice took the wolf's attention off the fuming boy and bent look up at her from behind him with big puppy like eyes full of trust and devotion, "It's fine, go." She nodded, waving a hand at her as if to insist.

Akira looked back to the boy, then at Cher; whining her confusion. She smartly hobbled her way pass the snarling boy and limped up to Cher, rubbing her furry cheek on Cher's leg as if to say she didn't want to.

"Really, go" Cher nudged her away gently. When Akira still didn't move, Cher stepped back a few paces, noticing the boy had morphed back into the impressive beast with yellow golden eyes. When the white wolf seemed to think she was far enough away that he could approach the red female wolf again, he growled lowly in his throat in his displeasure. And approach her he did. Kiba lowered his head and pinned back his ears as he walked to her, only to lift them once more when he was with in range and securely fastened his jaws around the truff of her neck where a mother wolf usually picks up her pups. Akira yelped as the larger wolf dragged her toward the general area the others left.

'_-Let me go, KIBA!" _she demanded heatedly, feebly kicking at him.

'_-Since you seem to have a hard time walking, and you won't let me carry you I might as well drag you." _Kiba muffled sarcastically as he leaped up on to the large roots of the ancient tree still with her in a submissive hold and practically hanging from his jaws like a kill, but he was only slightly gentler than that. Enough that he was sure not to choke her on accident.

Akira wailed in protest, but finally gave in, "_Alright, alright already! I get it, it's time to leave. So let go so we can catch up!" _she shoved him off her, growling something incoherent about his cocky, purely male wolfish smirk before shifted human again, startling her when he once again picked her up, but this time threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, enjoying the whoosh of air that left her when he nearly knocked the air out of her with the sudden movements.

"Like hell I'm letting you RUN when you can barely WALK!" he scoffed as he darted into the forest as fast as his legs could carry him in this form.

With a mournful sigh, Akira watched behind them as Cher quickly became hidden with the trees. She winced as a few branches snapped back and hit her in their passing, getting dizzier by the moment. Finally seeing that there was nothing more she could do, Akira let her head fall down his back, closing her eyes tightly and willing this 'joy ride' to be over with.

'Just you WAIT till I get down…' she thought irritated.

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"Your supper, sir," a tall, darkly clothed servant bowed low as he set down the final metallic platter of food and filled a goblet of whine and then discretely excused himself out the door. Jasper didn't move an inch from where he stood in human form with his arms crossed over his chest, staring out the window. He waited for the soft click of the lock before sighing in defeat. It had been two, maybe three day's since he was aware of his situation, and, like clock work, Darcia had seen fit to have him subject to three hearty square meals a day with plenty of fresh water and an offered goblet of whine at supper like now.

They were even keen enough to serve the platters of food on the floor for him when they noticed Jasper had taken to his wolf form for a while, but the silver wolf refused to eat. His body grew weak from lack of nutrition and slow from dehydration, but his stubborn pride refused to allow himself to eat from this hell! He refused to accept anything that came from that MONSTER that enslaved him in the first place. By day he would refuse to face the door, choosing to either pace the long wall lined with windows or simply stare out one like he was at the moment. By night he would lay in his wolf form in the moon beams, soaking up its energy that gave his kind strength and perseverance; Just like his father had always told him to keep in mind for a last resort. It kept his body from failing, but did little to assuage the growing pains in his stomach yearning for food or the ever-present dry thirst on his tongue.

"If only father could see me now…" He knew he was being stupid. Pride was everything to the ancient ways of a wolf. It is what separated them from the weak minds of the humans in their intellect, but he was raised differently from this. As a wolf, he wasn't afraid of death and somewhat welcomed it given the circumstances, but his father had instilled Jasper and his sister since the beginning that life wasn't to be taken for granted when God saw fit to give the breath of the living. They must do everything in their power to survive, especially when there were others counting on them. God gave Jasper a reason to stay alive, otherwise he would have died back in Freeze City along with his noble father.

"_If you're going to die, take your enemy with you._" Jasper vividly remembered his father's words, though his voice seemed so far away in his mind, "_It's easier to die, but harder to live on pass the trials life hurdles at you. That is one thing the humans out class the wolf a hundred to one._"

Sasuke was right. Jasper's wise old man was ALWAYS strange, but right! Darcia's sights were set on the Lunar Flower and his people's paradise. As a wolf, it was his duty to stop him, but he would be useless going as he was now. He'd get nowhere starving to death.

Arching a brow and letting out a sigh of frustration, Jasper glanced over his shoulder at the innocent food waiting to be eaten. The other meals had gone to waste, tossed out Jasper's widows soon as the servants discovered he hadn't so much as APPROACHED his meals. It was a terrible waste given that times were hard and food was even harder to come by now. Gritting his teeth, the young man turned sharply like a stubborn child, tearing the poor chair out from under the table and then swiftly sat down, plucking a piece of richly buttered bread, sniffing it in distrust. He picked up no scent that would alert him if his food had been tampered with, but with the salivation watering in his mouth and the painful whine in his stomach, Jasper was in no position to care if he truly didn't want to starve to death.

True to his wolven blood, Jasper tore at the bread, gobbling it up before moving on the hot and bloodied roast beef. He ignored the fork and spoon in favor for bare hands, his stomach was on the verge of forcing the change on him because it was wailing and demanding so much at the moment. He finished the meal minutes later, gulping down the water flask and eyeing the whine curiously. He picked it up and sniffed the red liquid, wolves rare drank any kind of alcohol. It was a human thing, but this smelled sweet and tantalizing to Jasper. He stared at his reflection in the goblet, admiring the crimson of the liquid he'd only associated with blood…

A pair of innocently wide orange eyes flashed in his mind as childish laughter seemed to tease his ears in the distant memory of his little sister…

"Akira…." He whispered, setting down the goblet, suddenly finding the nostalgia too much.

Forget what his father would say to his enslaved son- what would AKIRA say? Jasper felt stricken with grief as he slowly bent over, letting his elbows rest on his knees while his long fingers tangled in his hair, holding his head up while his mind played like a silent movie images of his little sister he had helped raise from pup years. He loved his sister so much and now that he was certain Darcia knew about her, it meant she was alive and still out there somewhere. Darcia was hunting her and the flower down since the Noble knew about the proverbial Red Moon that was Akira's destiny. Eventually, he would run into his fox-like sister whether it was on his terms or Darcia's.

The mere thought of the Noble getting anywhere near his dear little sister had Jasper nearly running to the window to return the food he just scarffed down. There was no way he'd let that happen so long as he breathed and was able to keep Darcia's complete control over him at bay. The bond was so new that Darcia's control was weakened when Jasper wasn't at his side, but it was all the edge Jasper would need to defy the Noble in any way he could. He fingered the cool metal of the crucifix that dangled to the center of his chest. The pendent and chain were his only sense of comfort. He knew somewhere out there, Akira had an identical one that was close to her heart like his- it was their symbol of family they and their family wore with pride. Jasper's had a deep scratch and a dent in the middle of it- a memoir of his past for both the good and the bad.

Stretching, the platinum blond relaxed his muscles, giving in to the urge of the change and fell to four paws instead of two legs. He padded his way across the cool marble floor and lift his front paws to the lip of the fountain, gazing in to the clear waters. Stared back at the wolf reflection that greeted him. The fur wasn't as glossy and he was thinner than just three days ago, making Jasper grimace. Already the small period of self-imposed starvation had taken its toll far quicker than it should have. It must have had something to do with what Darcia's scientist had done with his body during the Blood Bond ceremony….

With a snarl Jasper's attention drew to his eyes. A haunting green wolf eye glared back while a human blue eye leered with less intensity as the original green. Self-hatred consumed Jasper at the sight of his new eye.

It bound him to Darcia! They had exchanged blood, but the Blood Bond wasn't complete. Darcia's Scientists and Alchemist had worked together so that anything dealt to Darcia would mirror on Jasper, including death, but Darcia had some control of what was mirrored from Jasper to himself! If Jasper were to kill himself, Darcia would be unharmed, if not sick for a few days. That was fine though, even if it killed him, Jasper would much rather deal the Noble his death by his own tooth and claw then let the man bleed to death with wounds that wouldn't faze a wolf.

Jasper's ears pinned back to the door when it opened suddenly to reveal the devil himself: Darcia. The wolf felt the restraining weight of the binding spell Darcia had placed on him. It activated soon as the two were close enough so Jasper didn't get any kamikaze ideas and do something that would hurt them both. The weight of the cursed spell only increased with every step the man took closer to Jasper. He couldn't even curl up his upper lip in fury as he snarled a begrudging welcome grunt to the man he hated more than anything.

"Ah, Brother Wolf," Darcia greeted with a sickly warm smile. He knelt down beside the spell cast silver beast with a suspicious-looking black-studded collar in hand. The searing scent of silver stung at Jasper's nose- the studs were tipped with silver! The Darcia family crest hung from the tag ring of the vile collar etched in a small silver-sheen diamond. Darcia stroked the fur of Jasper's neck fondly before he started to fasten the collar about the unwilling, yet immobile wolf.

"I am no brother of yours." Jasper knew that since they shared a Blood Bond, Darcia would understand his words even if he didn't project them to the Noble's human brain like wolves would have done to normal humans should they wish to speak.

"No, with this collar, it will be assumed you are my dearly beloved pet." Darcia smirked tauntingly as the wolf glared at him sidelong with loathing eyes. He finished buckling the collars straps, "It's time to put your capable body into use until our Blood Bond fully revitalizes my former self." He stood up, looking down his nose at Jasper as a lord would look down at a lowly servant, knowing it made the wolf burn from the inside out with rage, "This collar has been ritualized with the hold of our bond. It will compel your body to obey and let me catch glimpses through your eyes every now and then."

"An obedience collar?" Jasper spat in indignation.

Darcia gave him a cruel twitch of a smile, "I call it Reassurance." He turned his back to the wolf, lifting the binding spell from Jasper. He wasn't concerned that the wolf would attack- Jasper was smart enough to know that at this point it was useless. The Noble spoke as he made his way leisurely back to the gothic-style door, "The wolves with my Flower are near the fallen castle of my ancestors. You are to follow them from there on so that I may track them more effectively until the full moon. That is when I will intercept them and return Cheza to my side." He turned so he could watch the silver wolf's expression sidelong, "You are NOT to be seen. Is that understood?" he waited for his answer at the door.

Jasper's eyes glowed red as the spell recognized the command. He was mortified when he realized his paws were moving before he had a say so and he was out of Darcia's Keep, fighting his body the entire way. His mind and heart screamed at his body to stop as his nose picked up the tantalizing scent of the Lunar Flower quickly and his paws followed its luring path. He had never felt so helpless and tortured as he felt the collar around his neck pulse in a supernatural way. All the while, those pulses sent signals back to Darcia's keep where the Noble and his faithful Seer watched the small dot on the screen scale across the terrain map…

"My Lord Darcia," the young Seer spoke with adoration and warmth for her handsome lord, "I have foreseen his success. The flower will be yours come the full moon."

"Excellent."

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"You're sure she's fine now, Cheza?" Heart asked skeptically while watching the wobbly redhead attempt to march along side the others of the pack.

"This one could only remove the poison and help Akira's body start restoring itself." Cheza admitted, "It confuses this one why she could not help Akira more…" the troubled flower sighed.

"This must be the after effects then." Hige shrugged, "Don't be too hard on yourself, Cheza," he grinned good-naturedly, "With out your help, she'd be a lot worse off, right?"

"Still…" Heart mused.

They had all been mildly surprised when Kiba caught up with them earlier with Akira slung over his shoulders in very Neanderthal fashion. Akira had only stayed still for a breath after he finally stopped before them, and then she let loose her feeble pounding fists on his back. Kiba didn't seem to notice at the time.

When it was time for Cheza to heal Akira's wounds, the wolves watched in awe as the cuts and bruises were healed over, but the flower looked troubled. The cuts were only able to scar over and while the poison was harmlessly extracted from Akira, the red wolf still wasn't able to control herself. She hobbled around like a drunk and suffered dizzy spells. Her balance was terrible and she had to lean on one of them every few miles of walking before she fell over.

Having heard her friends little chat behind her, Akira glared over her shoulder in Heart's general directions, "Look I sa..said I…Iiii'm Fine!" she stuttered and slurred every other word. Even her tongue was slow at the moment. She didn't even realize the group had been walking in a town before she ran into a trashcan and stumbled over it. Toboe had rushed to her aid, helping her stand up, but after that Akira stubbornly shooed him off her, "I said I'M FINE!" she snapped at the younger wolf who flinched and wisely backed off. The other wolves shared a knowing look among them while Tsume rolled his eyes.

Hige sputtered while trying not to laugh as he tilt his head with a small smirk when the stubborn redhead lost her balance again and swayed, nearly running into a wall, but Kiba nudged her away from it, "Trust me… ya look _fine_ too." He snickered.

"Let's just get her out of sight before she draws too much attention to us." Tsume groused under his breath in a grumble as his golden eyes shifted warily in the dark streets around them.

It was nighttime now and the street lamps were flickering on and off. The buildings around them were tall and blocked the wind, hindering scents that weren't in the immediate area from reaching them. Unlike Zali's pack island, the people here didn't cower away from the intruders. They even seemed completely relaxed as they lounged about on the front porches of their homes or the decks of buildings watching mildly amused as Tsume and the others passed by. Tsume took note that they were especially curious about the off-balance Akira that seemed to play pin-pong between Toboe and Kiba as she walked between them. The human's probably thought she was drunk…

Cheza smiled and held a hand to her thin lips as she giggled at Akira. She could feel the red wolf's aura fluctuating and hear her sloppy footsteps, giving away that she couldn't walk straight. With a small yelp, Akira's knees had finally had enough and wavered on holding up her weight for just a moment, but it was all her lousy momentum needed to plunge her entire body down to the ground face first.

"This one thinks it is best if Akira does not walk." Cheza approached the struggling girl with light steps as always as she rest her hand on Akira's shoulder while Akira gathered herself and sat on the ground, "The injuries this one just healed will become worse rather than better if Akira continues."

Akira looked over her shoulder at the concerned sightless eyes and heaved a heavy sigh, slumping her shoulders a bit. Now that Cheza spoke up she just KNEW Heart wouldn't back off.

"Maybe it's time for something different, Akira." Heart conceded from the back of the group.

"Yeah, Cheza's right, Akira. Let one of us carry you." Toboe agreed.

Hige's head shot up excitedly and Akira just knew he was wagging his tail, "I'll do it!" he offered.

Every one just stared blankly at him.

"What?" he gapped in indignation.

"I'd rather not be felt up when I can't count on my reflexive aim." Akira glared warily at the shocked stocky man.

"WHAT! You'd think I'd actually take advantage of you like that?" he sounded hurt and defensive.

"Wouldn't hold my breath." Heart said dryly and crossed her arms with an accusing arched brow directed at Hige in warning while Kiba decided to take the liberty to pull Akira's arm over his shoulders to help her walk.

"I'll have you know that I'm can be the perfect gentleman anytime, anywhere!" Hige defended gripping his hands into fists as he bristled.

"Yeah, in a gentleman's club." Heart rolled her eyes mischievously, spurring the group to join together in laughter that carried into the evening sky.

Cheza's back straightened curiously, pausing while her friends passed her by. She tilt her head and looked down a nearby dark passageway that lead to the next street over to the right. Her red eyes held a glint of eager wonderment as her pale lips parted.

Kiba paused at her side as well, helping adjust Akira to balance herself better. From what he could tell the effects that had taken hold of Akira were wearing off rapidly as she started to easily hold her own weight again, but Kiba wasn't about to turn her loose just yet. His blue eyes drifted back to Cheza in concern while Akira's own orange ones turned to Cheza curiously.

"What's wrong?" she flared her nostrils instinctively when her senses started heighten back to their original acuteness. A familiar musky feminine scent drifted to her but she wasn't sure why she recognized it. She didn't see any reason why Cheza should be alert.

"Cheza? What's wrong?" Kiba asked gently, his blue eyes never leaving the flower's face.

He watched on as her pale features morphed to childish excitement as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest, "We have friends- even here we have friends!" she gasped in utter joy before she made a beeline down the dark alleyway, startling Kiba at her sudden departure.

"W-Wait!" Kiba nearly yelped, dragging Akira with him down the alleyway after the flower, "Cheza! Don't just run off on your own!"

"K-Kiba!" Akira yelped, clamping a hand over her mouth as nausea started to hit her slightly in warning, "Hey, K-Kiba, make the world stop spinning….ULP-!" she caught herself before puking her guts out just as Kiba pulled up short. The arm around her was tense and his breathing paused for a moment, "Kiba?" she blinked, then caught a familiar low warning growl.

Akira felt a chill run down her spine. Even in her muddied mind she recognized that low snarl from anywhere! That was the hunters dog! She turned quickly to the scene unfolding before them. To her horror, Cheza was gently approaching the large black hellish dog that was tied at the leash to an exposed pipe just outside the local bar of the town. Its haunting blue eyes locked on them savagely with a glint of uncertainty. It knew that Kiba and Akira weren't the only wolves around and that it was at a disadvantage being tied up. It also didn't seem to trust the white Flower Maiden as Cheza held out a hand slowly to the dog. Kiba had instinctively stood back behind Cheza with Akira soon as the black dog sent a warning growl. If he provoked it too much with his presence, then it could attack and possibly harm Cheza and he wouldn't be able to shield Cheza in time. Even so, his own dangerous blue eyes glared down at the canine with a deadly promise should it be foolish enough to try something. Both he and Akira held their breath as Cheza's hand came dangerously close and the black dog curled back its lip, bearing pearly white fangs as it parted its jaws as if to bite.

"Oh no you don't!" Akira growled, shifting in record time as she used her smaller body to put herself between the dog and Cheza. Her own dangerous orange eyes locked on to shocked blue ones for a split second before it the black dog growled even louder, recognizing Akira instantly. Black fur stood on end as it stood up on all fours, straining against the leather lease to get to Akira who stood coldly, knowing the leash was short enough that the black dog couldn't touch her. Akira noticed the blue eyes shift dangerously toward the white flower maiden Akira was hiding behind her. Cheza was trying to urge Akira out of the way but the red wolf stubbornly stayed put. Seeing her adversaries eyes avert to her charge, Akira bore her fangs as well and let her hackles rise to a tingling sensation as her tail flared out behind her in warning.

Akira's breath caught when Cheza's cool hand rest on her neck just behind her pinned back ears. Her orange eyes, bright with the sudden rush of her blood, rolled back to look at her through the corner of her eye, "Please understand," Cheza let her cool soothing hand gently massage in calming circles in Akira's thick fur on her neck, "There is no need for fighting, please stand down." Akira instantly obeyed, shocking the rest of the arriving wolves at the complete trust she put in the flower. She submissively sat back on her haunches at Cheza's side, her ears flopping forward in a good-natured way as she completely changed her attitude in front of the black female dog. The hunts dog gawked in shock, confused why Akira just gave up on trying to force her into submission.

"Cheza?" Toboe cautioned as he noticed the flower slowly lean forward again to address the female domesticated one.

"Shh," Tsume held a finger to his lips, his tawny eyes darted from Toboe's towards the cracked door of the bar just to the side of the dog. All of them could hear the men and women inside, drinking heartily and talking rowdily, but each of the wolves could smell the huntsman and the soldiers inside. They all tensed, wanting to leave this place quickly, but none were willing to leave Cheza behind.

The black dog moaned in its confusion at Akira's sudden flip-flop in demeanor towards her, going from hostile to welcomingly friendly. The red bitch even went as far as to wag her tail at her assuming they could be friends… and all of this just from one touch of that … that floral scented girl. No matter that the scent was alluring and pleasing to inhale, she had first scented it on the red wolf and had marked it as a way to follow it, but this girl seemed to be a stronger source… as if she WAS the flower its self!

"You've been all alone, all this time. Haven't you?" the gentle voice whispered pleasantly into the black dog's ears, "You've lived all this time not knowing what or who you truly are. Not knowing that deep inside you, you're part wolf."

The other wolves reacted in various forms of shock and surprise! Kiba's breath caught as he did a double take down at the black …part-wolf, taking his eyes off the door for a moment. Tsume snared in disgust. Hige and Toboe blinked in nearly mirrored interested wonderment while Heart's red eyes locked on to the blue-eyed female in disbelief. Akira's black tipped ears perked up and then laid back down in thought. She looked over her shoulder slightly, '_Part wolf…'_ her orange eyes scanned across Heart's frozen form. Unlike the others, Heart seemed to take this a bit harder… as if this hit pretty close to home for her, '_Someone just like Heart! Part dog, part wolf!'_ She turned eager eyes back to the newly discovered half-breed, '_Maybe Cheza's right! Maybe we do have friends here!'_

The blue-eyed female seemed just as startled as the others were. Her once ice-cold blue eyes now fired with unhindered emotion that didn't take a mind reader to decipher exactly what she thought. She was confused out of her mind! All tension fell away as she stared at them slack-jawed. How would you feel if you found out that your blood was the same as your enemy you hunted? Cheza slowly leaned to pet the black part-wolf and show her that she was welcomed, but the half-breed she-wolf shied away in fearfully with a helpless whine, "It's okay now." Cheza smiled reassuringly, holding her hand out disarmingly until her new friend seemed to trust her enough to get closer. The black dog's bright eyes darted from Cheza's sightless rubies to her pale hand, unsure of what to do next. She whined again, folding her ears helplessly to her skull.

Seeing her distress, Akira attempted to welcome the half-breed as well. She wagged her tail behind her and whimpered to the black dog, lowering her head good-naturedly. If Cheza saw the good inside this wolf… uh-part wolf, then Akira saw no reason to hold grudges. Domesticated dogs didn't always have the freedom to choose their owners. Maybe she was only a hunts dog because it's all she's ever known? Besides, Akira was terrible at remembering to keep grudges. She'd rather get along than fight. If anything, their dispute should be pit against the old man that traveled with the dog. It was his gun that Akira feared above all else. She could still hear his haunting roars at her when she crossed his path before with the child. His eyes were full of rage and fear… and sadness. She wondered if this female knew what happened to make that man hate and fear wolves so much?

"Kiba…" Tsume whispered lowly as his fangs lengthened in the tension. He could sense that someone was approaching the door.

Kiba quickly darted a look from the door to Akira and Cheza, "Cheza, time to go." Akira morphed back to her human form, helping Cheza stand upright again. No sooner had the two of them stood up, Kiba scooped Akira in his arms again and quickly darted off.

"KIBA!" she yelped indignantly.

Toboe took Cheza's hand and quickly rushed her off, following the backs of Tsume and Hige. The blue-eyed canine whined and barked longingly after them as she bolted up to follow, but was jerked back by her restraining leash. She whimpered at her own expanse and watched as the wolves disappeared in the city shadows beyond the street lap that lit up outside the bar. It was then that she noticed Heart hadn't moved. The two stared at one another in curiosity, both feeling a pull to the other.

Hearts face was a cool mask, betraying nothing as she stared down the half-breed that was all too familiar to her. Now that they were alone, she could even take in her soiled scent that was not so unlike her own. Red collided with blue for a few more precious moments.

Heart heard a sound from inside the bar. One of the soldiers portable tracking deceives had finally gotten a lock on Cheza and it was beeping madly. She turned back to the dog that stared at her in awe.

"Heed this warning." She whispered, "Do not stay with your human much longer. You'll only suffer more if you do." And with that, she turned tail and disappeared into the streets of darkness, easily catching up to the rest of her pack.

The black half-breed watched her leave, feeling no ill will towards any of the wolves any longer. Anger had turned to longing. She had always felt a part of her longing to run with the wolves she and Pop's hunted down, but she was loyal to her human. She couldn't just leave him and act on silly longings… but now that she met..Cheza they called her- she wanted more than anything to run with them. To be free.

"OI! Shut that damn thing off! Its going haywire," one of the soldiers inside complained.

"Hey! That's the signal of the target!" another soldier exclaimed.

"What really?" the commander stood up sharply from his chair and leaned over the circular table to glimpse down at the beeping machine, "I'll be darn…. All right ladies! We got'em now! Surround the city! Make sure nothing gets away from these walls with out a bullet in its head!"

The rest of the men roared in response, immediately mobilizing out the door, leaving Cher at the bar with an old man who just snorted at the sight.

"Damn military dogs." He mumbled, downing his vodka, "Hey, tender, get me another one."

Cher stood to follow her comrades out the door, still surprised that finding the wolves so quickly like this had been so easy! It was in the middle of the night, but she had expected the wolves to sense her and the soldiers and instinctively move around them…

A soft woofing noise brought her attention to the large black dog that was owned by that man inside… Quent he called himself. And this must have been Blue… the dog's intense aquamarine eyes were locked on the darkness of the city before them as if she wanted to catch a glimpse of something. Her pointed ears and fluffy tail were familiar to Cher and her mind quickly flashed to red fur marred in terrible wounds, "Oh no…" Cher's head snapped up with renewed worry. She knew Akira might possibly slow the others down in their escape with those kinds of wounds… would they abandon her to the soldiers or risk the whole pack being captured?

"Oh Akira… please be safe," she prayed.

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This was sadly becoming waaaaay too easy for him. The silver wolf streaked through the town while only the hazy moonlight caught glimpses of his iridescent fur that flashed in its cool beams while he shift his way from shadow to shadow. His duel-colored eyes taking in everything and missed no details as he passed. The Flower Maiden's scent was laughable with how easy it was to track. He almost felt a pull from it that called to him, beckoning him closer. He could only slightly remember a similar feeling back in Freeze City, but he had been too busy with his father patrolling around to keep the Flower Maiden safe from potential threats to actually have the time to visit her like his sister, Akira, had.

Jasper felt sick to his stomach. Though he marveled at how easy it was to track down and locate this Flower Maiden, even if he wanted to change course, his limbs wouldn't obey. Soon as his acute senses tracked down the scent, he had no choice but to sit back in the back of his own mind and watch his body be a puppet for Darcia.

With a powerful leap, the silver wolf bounded to the wall of a narrow alleyway, pouncing back and fourth from the two close-contact walls until he crouched atop the rooftops in a predatory kneel. From up here he could detect everything in the town easily since the wind was unhindered by the many twists and turns of the city streets below guarded by concrete, wood and steel of the buildings. He breathed in deeply, his nostrils sifting though unneeded information, locking on to the pungent scent of his fellow wolves' musky fur and the sweet tart of the flower coupled with the spice of his own sister's near identical floral scent. He had always found comfort in Akira's scent. It was so much like the flower maiden that it made him proud to be her older brother. He took pride that his sister had the scent that was sacred to his kind, but now he knew it endangered her in ways she didn't even know. Darcia had compelled Jasper to keep a close eye on the flower AND the one called the Red Moon, and he knew Akira was the chosen one to represent the heart of the red moon. It pained him that he was betraying her to probably their worst enemy.

With a whine, he felt his body surge forward, fully intent on the hunt as he leapt from building to building. That heavy feel on his mind he associated with Darcia's control aggravated him, as it grew stronger…

But then… it started backing off? Jasper was slowly able to force his legs to a stop, his body trembling in stunned surprise. Why was he able to control his body now? Even if it felt like he was holding back an urge that was incredibly strong… he was able to force his body to his will. What was different?

As if the wind had whispered the answer, Jasper's head snapped up in realization as the moon beams lit up his grateful irises to a gleeful shine in the moonlight. It was the moon! No clouds were hiding its beams from him and now shadows were hiding him from the blessed beams his people thrived on! The full moon was getting closer, and even though this was a measly half-moon, it was enough to wane Darcia's control on him for a little while.

"Thank the moon!" he gave thanks with a joyous howl, not caring if he alerted the soldiers. Darcia had equipped him a collar that deflected even Jagura's energy beam blasts with its force field strong enough to deflect anything short of hand to hand combat and no one fought hand to hand with a wolf with out being mentally unstable. Flexing his new found leverage over Darcia's hold, Jasper bounded from roof to roof, simply enjoying his freedom and the way the wind played around with his silver fur. He could almost purr if only he were feline….

Wait…. Never mind. He shook his head, wolves do NOT purr. He snorted in disgust with himself. He really needed to run with his own kind sometime. The whole lone wolf thing was getting to him.

He stopped for a moment, recognizing a scent all wolves hesitated before- wolf blood. Someone or something had spilt wolf blood. He looked around furiously, trying to decipher if the blood came from the wolves with his target and his sister! If it was AKIRA'S blood someone would pay with their own! He snarled in frustration as his muddled mind hindered him from his focus. Quickly he located the general area- Northeast of where he stood now and only a few blocks off. With out a second thought, he bolted forward almost phasing in and out of sight, appearing directly above the scene.

This wolf was not one of the wolves he was looking for. The female's scent certainly was similar to one of the scents he could remember hanging around the bunch of scents he picked up that clumped themselves together, but this one was slightly different. He realized it was related to one of the other's scents. He watched stoically as the scene played out.

The female had rescued a human pup. Her own elder human had shoed her away while he himself ushered the boy down below somewhere- probably to heal his wounds. Jasper tilt his head at the odd submissive behavior of the female. She certainly had the ferocity of their kind, but her attitude was too subordinate and …lapdog. Something Darcia was forcing on Jasper, but she seemed to willingly obey this man. She even let him tie her off to a pipe outside while he and the whelp retired inside. Snorting his distaste for the ideal this female held with her, he turned to leave, but paused when soldiers arrived on the scene.

The weren't Jagura's men. They were Orchem's. Jasper thought he and Darcia had driven those men off from their search for the Flower Maiden. His orders were to kill them off and make them scared to follow their tracks. Apparently, he missed a few roaches in his kill, but he was content to let them live. After all, he only killed the others because he was under the influence of Darcia's power, and the moon was still bright behind him, shielding him from the evil man.

He felt a pang of guilt for a moment when the soldiers taunted the wolf dog. Testing the limits of its leash and poking and prodding at it. In a flurry of movement, he found his guilt was for nothing. Something with in the female snapped when her collar broke, freeing her. She lunged for the closest soldier, knocking him out but not killing him. A surprising feat Jasper didn't think she would have done considering the man nearly killed her with his taunts.

He gritted his teeth when he felt the heavy weight return to the forefront of his mind, "No…. not now…!" he snarled as the moon was covered by a thin veil of smoggy clouds, but it was enough to give the spell its edge over him. He saw red as he locked on to the soldier that just shot at the dog, wounding her and giving him a chance to run while the female limped after him determined. Jasper flew after the soldier, stalking him from above on the roof tops like a falcon flying above a runaway mouse who thought it had safety now that it escaped the fox.

The soldier must have heard his heavy breathing since he was instinctively enticed by the thrill of the hunt. The man hesitated and turned slightly to see what was hunting him down, only to be flattened to the ground by two-hundred pounds of muscle covered in silver fur with glistening white teeth that gave him an eye full of the tools of his death before they plunged into his face. He screamed murder as the wolf tore at him, ripping off his nose and part of his upper lip before Jasper dove again for a better grip of his kill. He toyed with the man, not going for the killing blow and instead ripping off pieces of him: nose, ears, pieces of his scalp and finally, when he could stand the screams no longer at such close range, the wolf suffocated him by tearing out his jugular.

Jasper panted as he slowly came back from his maddening trance that took hold during a hunt. He slowly backed off the human with wide eyes. Before, he had quickly done the deed, ambushing the soldiers and biting the backs of their necks, breaking the spinal cord with a twist for instant death, but this one…. He had enjoyed the hunt. Blood still dribbled from his wet jaws as he shook his head. He was turning into a monster….

Darcia's own pet monster.

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Hige sniffed around an old rusted out bus with over grown foliage all over it as it lay hidden on the out skits of the abandoned scrap yard just outside of town. He poked his head out to survey the area and popped back in with a smirk, "All clear! This place'll be great to crash in while we're here. They'll never find us in a junk yard!" he held up a thumbs-up enthusiastically.

"Well that's always good news." Heart smiled, ducking into the small door of the worn out bus and taking in their temporary den, "It's kinda dusty and rusty, don'tcha think?" she tilt her head accusingly at Hige.

"Sorry. Next time we're in town, I'll book us a room at the Hilton Hotel. Jacuzzi and all." He sassed right back with an arrogant smirk.

"The seats are still soft though," Akira commented from where she had lain with her head in Cheza's lap while Cheza finished up healing her wounds that reopened after traveling about the town. Her eyes were closed blissfully while Cheza pet her long red hair.

"How are you feeling now?" Kiba inquired as he took his seat on one of the torn and tattered cushioned booths of the bus. His blue eyes once again looked over her, checking for any signs of fresh blood.

"No pain what so ever!" Akira gave a bright smile and a mock salute, "soldier Akira ready for duty once again!" she stood and then frowned, half-heartedly glaring at Kiba, "And this time I prefer to walk on my own two feet thank you,"

"If you had been quicker at it, there wouldn't have been a need." Kiba shrugged indifferently, turning away from the now fuming Akira. He silently took great amusement at her expense, loving the way her cheeks flushed and her orange eyes brightened to near neon brightness when her blood pressure heated up like this.

He absentmindedly wondered if they would darken or brighten even more when she got riled up in other ways….

'_What the hell?'_ he shook himself out of that stray thought, glancing back at Akira warily, before his blue eyes darted back to the conversation.

"Speaking of soldiers," Toboe started as he plopped down on the floor cross-legged near Cheza and Akira, "I've had enough soldiers to last me a few life times." he sighed.

"Yeah, these guys aren't giving any slack this time." Hige moaned in agreement, settling down as well.

Tsume looked from Akira to Cheza, "It's because that scientist lady saw Cheza and has some sort of a relation to Akira." His statement called everyone's attention to Akira's person while he narrowed his eyes dangerously, pinning her almost, "Care to explain that bit of left out information?" he said suspiciously with an arched brow.

Akira held her hands up in her own defense, "Hey, I didn't know she'd be following us!" she instinctively backed away from their suspicious faces, but only ended up flopping back in the booth with Cheza.

"I didn't ask you if you knew, I asked how she knows you." Tsume clarified.

"So what if I knew her back at free city? She _WAS_ the head of Cheza's scientist. She used to confide in me when things were going slow on the night shift. I DID stay in the lab." Akira admitted defensively as she crossed her arms, blushing as she torn her eyes away from Tsume's distrustful gaze. Why did he always have to assume all secretes were bad?

"Does she know your human form?" Kiba asked sternly, but he wasn't nearly as accusatory as the gray wolf.

"No" Akira didn't like being interrogated, and she had nothing to hide from them…but with the suspicious looks even Heart was subjecting her to…, "Wait a minute… You don't think I'm _leading _them to us, do you?" she let her mouth agape in astonishment when no one but Toboe flinched away from her accusation. She shoved her hands behind her, pushing herself up from the seat to sit up straighter, "You DO don't you!" she yelped in indignation.

"Who knows what that chain's for." Tsume countered critically, eyeing the crucifix bluntly.

Akira's hand flew to her pendent protectively, "Yeah, well Hige wears a collar too!" she defended, "Besides, my chain was given to me by my father. Not some human. All of my family members have one just like it. No bugs attached. Run me through a scanner if you're not convinced. All you'll get is metal detection." She insisted.

"I really don't think Akira would do something like that to anyone." Toboe pleaded as he started to take her side, feeling guilty that he had suspected her otherwise just a moment ago, but Akira was grateful. She could tell the others were starting to accept it as well; Even though Tsume just kept his usual sneer. It was his way to be negative most of the time. The day Tsume was giddy was the day someone died….

"This one has no doubt that Akira would never do that to the ones she cares for." Cheza also agreed from behind Akira, grasping the attention of the pack away from Akira.

Kiba looked outside momentarily and sighed, "Well, old relations or not- it doesn't really matter at this point. We've all done something or other in the past and have made friends or foes we're not proud of. So she's no different. Right now we need to check the perimeter to see if there's a way out and where the soldiers are located." The dark-haired young man was once again getting his pack to focus on the here and now rather than the past of the red female. She had suffered enough of their mistrust so he put a merciful end to it, ignoring the look of grateful adoration she sent him. He smoothly cleared his throat and turned away from her.

….Smooth, Kiba….

"Well all that's left now is to find some food and make sure there's no bad guys near!" Toboe grinned easily, trying to diffuse the tension.

Hige's stomach quickly dispelled any more tension that was left over from Toboe's attempt soon as it started to growl and then was echoed around the small confines of the bus with similar protests from the others. Heart laughed heartily and patted Akira's shoulder, "You boys go on and do that scoping out thing and leave the grub to us girls. We'll be more likely to find something edible." She tugged Akira out of her seat and nearly dragged her the rest of the way out of the bus, eager to get out and stretch her legs away from the males.

"Right then," Kiba said after an odd pause the boys remained silent for as the watched the crazy female drag a protesting one out the door. He turned to the youngest of the pack, serious mask set in stone on his face as he addressed the chestnut haired boy, "Toboe, you'll stay here with Cheza till we get back." Kiba told the young wolf.

Toboe mocked Akira's salute from earlier with a grin, "I sure will!"

"This is getting ridiculous, we've tried three dumpsters and a couple dozen tin garbage cans, but not one of them had enough to even be considered food for a child." Akira sighed despondent as she kicked the dust with the toe of her boot at Heart's side. The older woman chuckled at her pouting friend and shook her layered mane of black off her neck.

"Well, I suggest getting used to it. Things are always hard and disappointing on the streets." Heart wisely said with her hands tucked into her tight pants pockets. She raised an elegant hand to her neck, rubbing it slightly in thought while her red eyes spaced out in thought staring at the dusty street at her feet while they walked, "You must be having a hard time coping with the sudden flip flop in life styles huh? Going from a stable family life to on the streets and on the run…" she some how felt it was her fault Akira was dragged into this sort of life.

"Yeah. Even back on the island with Zali's pack wasn't this bad." Akira nodded noncommittal in agreement. Something suddenly crossed her mind and she quickly looked up in realization, turning to Heart with her eyes full of curiosity she could barely contain, "Hey, Heart?"

"Hmm?" Heart murmured her reply distracted by the new scent of promising leftovers in dumpsters nearby.

"What was your life like? I mean before we met?" it was innocent, but Akira could tell it startled Heart. So she quickly fumbled to change the question, not wanting to intrude on personal- maybe hurtful- subjects, "Y-you don't have to t-tell me in detail, but….?" Her eyes turned back to the stunned woman beside her, gulping down her own nervousness that she had somehow hurt her closest friend, "Heart?" she questioned hesitantly.

At the sound of her name, Heart snapped out of her startled trance and glanced down at Akira, unable to help but feel an obligation to those innocent eyes, "What do you wanna know?" she relaxed again, and in doing so relaxed Akira's nerves as well.

"Well, lets see… ah!" Akira brightened soon as she thought up her first question, "Ok, do you have any siblings? I know you're only part wolf like me, but you're a dog, right? And I'm part fox!" she paused, frowning as if a thought came to her, "Well, I have an ancestor who was. I think it was my grandmother. Or maybe my great grand mother…" she murmured off, "I didn't think it was that far off…."

Heart smiled while Akira started to rant, feeling an endearment towards the klutzy she-wolf before. When it seemed like Akira's own ranting had faded off, Heart took in a deep breath and finally whispered something no one else among the living knew about her, "I had a sister once." She admitted softly, "A younger sister who I lost before she could even open her eyes." Her tender voice was so full of gentleness that Akira almost missed the overwhelming pain that laced through it. She instantly gave Heart her full attention in concern.

Akira tried not to gawk at Heart's confession, "You lost her?" she echoed just as softly, "But how! Why?" she back pedaled when she realized that came out in more of a demand than a question, "I mean- uh…"

"There was a fire…." Heart said quietly in the midst of her melancholy. Her autumn red eyes became far off and deepened into crimson darkness as voices and flashes of images in memory came to her…

_**The fire roared around her. Its smoke attacked her lungs and tried its best to replace the precious oxygen her body needed to even move. She pushed her young, gangly body as far as it would go, desperate to keep up at her father's break-neck pace. They were trying to lead the rest of the pack out of the forest, but it was hard to even decipher where the forest ended and where the fire had already laid claim to anything and everything in its path.**_

"_**Heart! You must stay at my side, baby," her fathers' soothing tenor voice panted from somewhere in the darkness of the smoke.**_

"_**But I cain't see you Daddy!" the young pup coughed back. She yelped in surprise when sharp, powerful jaws latched on to the scruff of her neck and lifted her up in a gentle hold. The smoke swirled around her as her father easily maneuvered around flames and charring trees, seeking sanctuary for his pup. He finally found the stone structure of the pack's winter den, a limestone cave that went deep into the ground and kept them warm in the harsh winters, but best of all, fire wouldn't travel across on into the stone. He wiggled himself into the small crevice of an entryway and set his pup down once he was very well deep into the dark cave. Only his red-chestnut eyes and her own dark autumn ones were visible now since both were darker than night in fur color.**_

"_**Stay here," he ordered with a nudge of his muzzle to her stomach. A loving caress from parent to offspring often flaunted amongst the pack. Their ears perked at the pained howls outside, "I must go. You're mother is still in the birthing process. The pup she bore recently is still too weak to move, she won't try to hide from these flames with out it!" he gnashed his teeth in frustration.**_

"_**Daddy, don't go!" Heart begged with pleading eyes, grabbing a truff of fur she could reach on his hind leg, "Please! Daddy, don't leave me!" she whined.**_

"_**Heart, Daddy has to go find Mommy. You want me to bring her back, don't you? And your new little brother or sister too, right?" he consoled his first born, turning back to her and rubbing his face against her small body to comfort them both. He felt sick to his stomach, something deep inside him knowing his promise was an empty one. **_

_**Heart nearly fell over when he suddenly pulled away, "Daddy…?" she called uncertainly when she couldn't see his glowing eyes anymore in the dark, "Daddy!" she called again, but he was gone, "No…. DAAAAAAADDDYYYYYYY!" she howled, her scream echoing through the cave and amplifying it to the outside world, echoing over the roar of the fire like a desperate whisper in the mountainous home of the once strong pack….**_

Akira and Heart had stopped walking while Heart slowly revealed her tale, "He was gone after that," she recounted, "Mother had just given birth to the new pup a few days before, and it's a custom that the mother and father dig their own den away from the pack in the forest so she has privacy during birth, so my father went to look for her there…. But he never came back." Her voice became a distant whisper as her left hand slowly traced her right arm and lightly gripped her shoulder. It was a gesture Heart rarely displayed- one that belied just how deeply she was feeling at the time no matter how strong her appearance may seem. Akira stood at her side in silence, respectfully not looking her friend in the eye as she focused her pained orange eyes to her feet.

"I was so cowardly, I stayed in that hole until I was on the brink of starvation- terrified of the world outside of that safe little cave." Heart admitted with a hint of self-disgust. Akira whipped her head up sharply, her red mane tossing slightly around her in her quick movement as she glared at her friend disapprovingly.

"Heart-,"

But Heart continued on with her story, holding hand up to stop Akira's protests, "the few survivors that were nearby found me and together we sought out the bodies of my family. We split up to cover more ground and… I was the one to find my father and mother's charred bones near the river den. There was no sign of the pup anywhere." She clenched her fists tightly at her sides now, "At the time I had thought my younger sibling had been scavenged by a predator, but I would have been able to track the familiar scent of my family blood in it. I never have seen my little brother or sister…"

"That's… that's terrible Heart," Akira looked away empathetically. Her heart swelled for the pain her friend must have felt. For the lingering ache she must feel….

"Don't give me that look," Heart smirked knowingly when she caught Akira off guard with the sudden flippant remark, "In all honesty, I got off easy. I met up back with the strays of my pack and a few others that were stranded from the fire as well in the village. When I became strong enough to prove my worth, I took control of the vagabond pack of strays I ran with and lead them away from that depressing place. It wasn't long after that that we ran into Tsume's pack in the Northern Mountains." Heart paused, looking to the sky with a fond smile that only came with even fonder memories, "I guess I caused quite a stir amongst them too since I ended up mating the Alpha, Ruze shortly after we took refuge with his larger pack; merging our packs into one super pack. There were a lot of mouths to feed, but no rivals were strong enough to take on our numbers and force. We ruled over an entire mountain range…" though Heart seemed happy to recall her memories of her old pack she shared with Tsume, Akira could tell that the she-wolf was more than a little dispassionate about her mating with this Ruze male.

The she-wolf had been taught by her family about political mating. It happened often back at the kennel among the canine unite. The humans would pick the top male and female of the bunch and mate them to produce strong, reliable offspring for the force. She didn't understand how her parents and Jasper avoided such a thing, but the point was that Akira had never thought of a political mating. She only knew of Zali and Cole and then her father Sasuke and her stepmother Shura. She didn't know if her real mother and her father, Sasuke's mating was political though… neither Jasper nor Sasuke ever mentioned her much, and it never came up with Diya…

"We controlled that territory for a few short years and only half of that I was actually mated to Ruze and labeled Alpha Female, and then, just like before… the soldiers came and ran us out." Heart seemed to wrapping up her tail, enticing Akira's attention once again, "I was separated during the attack. I somehow wounded up at Freeze City's gates, feeling almost compelled to go there after days of aimless wanderings. It was there that I found you and your mother, remember?"

"Yes," Akira nodded with a small smile at the memory, "You helped us get out of sewer and onto a train to Zali's island," she recalled.

"And after that, you know the rest. And here we are now." Heart summed up with a shrug, seemingly completely recovered from her previous painful revisit of her emotional past. Her tough exterior was once again flawlessly in place and her self-assurance firmly let itself be known in the way she stood taller and prouder than before. Akira once again was taken aback in awe as her closest friend shrugged off those painful memories and started walking down the street again, letting Akira fumble to catch up as she snapped out of her trance.

"You're… you're really one of a kind, you know, Heart?" Akira remarked admirably when she caught up to Heart's side again, "I've seen tough women before, but you put them all to shame! I can't see how you find the strength to be so trusting and open after so many painful separations of not just one pack but TWO!" Akira shook her head, "It's in our blood to stay loyal to one pack, right?" she praised.

Heart winced as her young friend unknowingly struck a deep chord a little too close to home for Heart's comfort, "You're wrong. I don't trust anyone any longer. I only do what I have to do to survive." The elder she-wolf replied in a smooth, icy-cold retort.

Akira faltered in step. She looked at Hearts back while she kept walking with a wounded look that went unnoticed by her friend, "Not… not even a little?"

"I can't afford to get too attached too much. In the end, they're just taken away." Heart said as she stopped to stand still for a moment to taken in the scent in the air she had noticed before, realizing it was getting stronger. Once satisfied, she turned her head to the left with a satisfied smile, pinpointing her queries' location- dumpsters, "I smell something in large amounts, fresh, and meaty!" she started walking faster, leaving Akira standing alone and emotionally wounded out on the barren street.

_I can't afford to get too attached too much. In the end, they're just taken away…_

Heart back tracked in her steps when she noticed Akira wasn't following, "Hey, Akira! You coming or what? I found the jackpot over behind this restaurant! Looks like nobody here liked the yesterday's meat special!"

Akira looked up at her with pain-filled eyes.

"What?" Heart asked in alarm as she looked left, then right cautiously then back at Akira worriedly, "What's wrong?"

"Do you really trust no one anymore?" Akira's voice was soft and if not for her wolf senses, Heart wouldn't have heard it.

"Oh, Akira…," Heart sighed in realization. She gave the younger girl a sincere smile, "When I said that, I didn't mean you. I trust you. Don't worry." She reassured as she approached the younger wolf and hugged her for all she was worth, "Silly girl, you take things too literal sometimes," she pulled back with a thoughtful look and then grinned playfully at Akira's hopeful eyes, "Well make that most of the time. You an emotional wreck for a wolf."

"Gee thanks" Akira snorted in a very Heart-like way, making Heart grin at her impersonation of herself, "And the others?" her orange eyes were once again apprehensive.

"Well, I trust them too…. Mostly." She snickered.

Akira couldn't help the smile in return, "Hige has his moments…" she agreed with a shrug of her shoulders and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly as she remembered some their boisterous friend's more frivolous antics he sometimes treated them to.

"They all do. And Tsume can be such a tight ass with having to have HIS way all the time." Heart snorted with a roll of her red eyes that seemed to light up even in the darkness of the night around them.

"So you admit that you look at his ass when you're walking at the rear of the pack?" Akira teased with a shyly, playful grin- delighted to see a light, off-guard blush flittering across Heart's nose as her confidant mask slipped for a moment.

"Least I'm not playing dumb to woe Mr. Snow-white!" Heart accused, trying to save face, even though she was still slightly blushing.

"Snow white?" Akira blinked confused, "Oh, wait-! You mean Kiba, right? ….HEY! I'M NOT TRYING TO WOE HIM!" Akira yelped indignantly as her peach complexion flamed an embarrassed pink and her pulse shot up quickly.

"So you're really just playing dumb?" Heart eyed her strangely.

"No!" Akira huffed.

Heart stared at her in disbelief, but when she saw no deceit in the smaller wolf. Only overwhelming embarrassment, but Akira was still the bashfully innocent Akira Heart had always known. The black-haired beauty sighed, "Akira, you're just too innocent and honest for your own good." She ruffled the rusty red bangs of her pouting friend humorously before turning on her heal to go after the meat in the dumpster once again.

"Why you going that way?" Akira asked while she tried to re-tame her bangs with her fingers combing through them fruitlessly.

"'Cause I smell food." Heart replied over her shoulder, "Hey, you go on and scope out a little more. We can use all we can get. I get this and meet up with ya back at the bus later."

"Sure" Akira nodded as she started to walk on while Heart split off the path towards the dumpsters. The little redhead was beaming happily. She got to learn something new about her dear friend and in-turn came to understand her just a bit better than before, "Oh I understand alright," she grinned to herself, "I understand that Heart's got the hots for a certain someone! She's soooooo getting it for even SUGESTING I'd do such a thing to Kiba!" she cackled mischievously and then paused in the middle of the street just as the sun was about to come up, tilting her head a bit to the side when she realized something, "Wait… what does 'woe' mean…?"

"MOVE! OUT OF THE WAY!" a soldier called as a troop of them jogged pass, making Akira take a step back and out of the way at the intersection of the dirt walkways.

She nervously waited, fearing that one of them might recognize her. Unfortunately, she was still in the way of the troop, since she was shoved roughly out of the way and too the ground.

"Hey!" she yelped indignantly when her rump hit the ground with a near-painful THUD. She looked up to glare at them, only to come face to face with familiar set of blue eyes hidden behind small glasses resting on the bridge of an aristocratic nose and a full head of blond hair.

"Sorry about that. Here, let me help you up." Cher said offering a hand with a disarming smile.

Akira looked from Cher's face to her out stretched palm then back again slightly wary. She wasn't afraid Cher would turn on her, but…, '_Does she… does she know who I am? That I'm a wolf?'_ her cautious thoughts made her hesitate, but she slowly reached up and took the proffered hand up. Once standing, she bent over slightly to dust off her jeans and coat, noticing that Cher hadn't run off with the platoon of marching maniacs.

"You shouldn't take their actions to heart," Cher sighed as if annoyed as she looked over her shoulder, her left fist resting on her cocked hip in her show of attitude, "We have some business to do here with something we've lost and we're supposed to be _discrete_ but these guys run around being complete jackasses." She turned back to Akira with a chuckle.

It was hard not to laugh in return, but Akira's answering giggle came out as a nervous chuckle. If Cher noticed, she didn't call it. Akira heaved a small sigh when the scientist-lady's blue eyes darted away from her to look around the dawn-lit streets around them.

"Do you live around here?" Cher asked suddenly turning back to Akira almost hopeful.

"Me? No," Akira pointed to herself with raised brows, "Oh no. No, I'm … I'm just passing through." She shook her head.

"Oh," Cher seemed disappointed, "Well do you know someone who does live here that might know a bit of history round here or at least the lay out? Our scanners may be high tech but the ones we brought are only geographic."

Akira thought a moment, "Uh well, I don't really know…." She muttered under breath in thought. She remembered seeing a particularly old man with an antique shop. He should know some history since he ran an antique shop of all things. And if not then he should know something, given his age, "Uh, there's an antique shop further down that road," she nodded to the road behind her to indicate the direction, "I'm not sure what good it'll do, but hopefully he'll get you started," she offered with a sheepish smile.

"Oh thank you," Cher smiled back with a nod as she glanced down the way Akira had just come from.

"No problem." Akira started to try and walk past her and be on her way again, thinking the conversation was over.

"Oh, hey, wait a moment!" Cher suddenly called holding a hand out after Akira as if to stop the young woman, making her cringe and look over her shoulder as her nerves skyrocketed again. Did she recognize her? Beads of sweat started to collect along her hairline as her heart pounded but she forced her voice not to squeak.

"Yes?" well it halfway worked…

"Watch yourself out there, will you? There's dangerous things running around here and I wouldn't want a nice girl like you getting hurt, alright?" Cher warned with a concerned expression.

Akira smiled back knowingly and held up her hand, "Thanks for the warning. I'll remember it." She waved her goodbye and started walking again, tucking her hands into her coat pockets with a secrete grin.

'_If only you knew I run with those 'dangerous-things_.' Akira thought.

Her heels clicked as she landed from her vault over a closed off alleyway. She bent her knees as she let the shock of the ground impact absorb through her body smoothly an then with grace of a feline, she straightened up her spine again returning to her usual confidant posture and shifted the pack she'd slung over her shoulder. The pack was full of her loot she'd found in garbage cans and dumpsters around the town. The pack itself, though, was something she 'confiscated' from a drunken hobo when she realized that she didn't have enough arms to carry all her food easily. She felt no remorse for her 'dirty deed' either since the Hobo wouldn't even notice it gone since it was empty when she took it and he was hopelessly drunk to boot.

She preened like a pampered cat as she held her head high proudly, "Well, I'd say the night's been rather productive if I do say so myself." She noticed the sky was getting lighter above the high buildings, "Looks like I'll get back just in time for breakfast- perfect." She thought aloud with a satisfied smile that faltered slightly after she took a few more steps and a sudden thought crept up the back of her mind, "I hope Akira's alright though…. She seemed kinda hurt when we went our separate ways back there…" she looked over her shoulder uncertainly, but then shook her head, "Nah, I told her I DO trust her. There's nothing for her to feel down about now. I'm sure she's back with the guys snuggling up to Kiba for a nap." When she thought of Akira's crush she grinned mischievously, "Boy does she got it bad!" she laughed out loud.

Heart stopped abruptly when her ears perked to a low, pain-filled moan that startled her. She tensed, ready for a fight and looked around the shadowed morning-lit street that was vacant, but her senses were going haywire and her heart started to speed up slightly.

"Whose there? Show yourself!" she demanded as she looked around her. She'd already had a few strays that had attacked her in the night, challenging her for her looted food, but she'd easily batted them off her like flies. However, some were crafty and made ambush attempts at her so she wasn't a fool to relax just because they were weaker than her….

Heart's nose filled with the heavy scent of blood, then something moved in front of her, hidden against the wall that had heavy shadows and dull lights around it, making it hard to see. She slowly took a few steps closer and looked closer to see a black heap of fur push itself up from the wall and then dragged it's self through a cross way in front of her. The dog looked at her in with familiar blue eyes so full of agony as it paused and stared back at her. Heart could smell human and gun powder on the female. Neither of them growled or made a noise. They simply stared. Heart recognized her instantly as the female part wolf from before and she knew from the sudden spark in the female's icy orbs that she knew Heart as well.

Heart could guess what happened. The female probably got in the way of an angry human and the human bastard probably beat her to take out their petty frustrations. She had seen similar cases many times before and it only hardened her resolve that very few humans would ever earn her respect. She watched impassively as the dark female started to drag herself in her determination once more but flopped down as her body gave out. She whined in her pain and though Heart watched on coldly, her heart felt heavy for this stranger in a way that felt familiar. Slowly she approached the fallen creature, noting that the female could only barely lift her head to watch as she approached. Her muzzle only slightly twitching in warning and a gurgling sound emitted from her throat as if she were trying to growl. Heart merely arched a brow, crouching down when she was near the part-wolf's head, showing she wasn't afraid of a fallen, broken tamed beast of the humans. She tucked her arms to herself as she squatted there, taking in the poor thing's condition.

"A human has done this to you… right?" she asked slowly. Her red eyes traveled back to blue eyes that reminded her of someone very dear to her… her heart clenched at the thought of this wolf- one of similar breeding to her- being hurt in anyway. She clenched her teeth as she thought of the humans that must have done this, feeling a sudden rise of fury.

"You should have listened to me when I said to leave the humans sooner rather than later." She felt a sudden urge to admonish this creature, scolding her like a troublesome pup, "Did I not tell you something of the like would happen like this?"

"It… it wasn't my… Pops…" a broken feminine voice rasped her reply.

Heart could only stare stunned that the she-wolf spoke, "What?"

"Pops… never hurt … me," the dark wolf used all her strength to sit up and level Heart with a determined glare, "Soldiers…"

"Orchem's soldiers have done this?" Heart's eyes narrowed. The dark part-wolf nodded.

"I lost…my collar…" the dark wolf panted.

Heart glanced down the matted fur, noting that it was indeed missing the spiked collar that once wrapped around this females' neck. Both of their ears were easily able to pick up the sound of marching soldiers on the main street that crossed their street they now stood in. Heart looked towards the noise, unconcerned for herself, but her red eyes darted down to the fallen blue-eyed female and she grimaced, once again looking back with hatred where she knew the soldiers were. She made up her mind quickly.

"Wh-what…" the part-wolf started to protest when Heart bent down to scoop up the wolf in her arms and quickly leaped up, propelling back and forth from the sides of the buildings till she landed atop one and set down the wounded wolf. Blue eyes stare up at her in confusion before wincing and whining as the pain sizzled through her torn body.

"Don't push yourself anymore. Your wolf-blood is trying to heal you. Once it's awakened with realization, your body starts to go through changes. Mine did when I was younger." Heart explained as she knelt down beside the other she-wolf and shrugged her pack from her back, "First rule of wolf-healing. Eat something and bathe in the moonlight. It speeds up your healing drastically. Second thing- stay away from silver. You now have… well let's just say an allergy to it that can kill you quicker than snake venom." As she explained to the awed she-wolf she pulled out a few small slabs of meat and a few loaves of bread, setting them down near the wolf's head. She then stood up, "I'm sorry I can't do anything more for you. You should stay here till nightfall. Your body should be fine by then if you eat these to give it a boost. The moon will do the rest when it comes out later." She turned away from the wolf and started to walk towards the edge of the flat roof.

"W-wait…"

Heart paused as she hoisted herself up the railing, preparing to jump, but she waited when the strained voice called out to her. Her heart skipped a beat in that moment and she felt a sudden empathetic pain for the wolf as she waited.

"Who… are you?"

"I'm called Heart." Heart replied softly as she bent her head low, but didn't turn to face the wounded wolf.

"I'm… Blue."

"Well, Blue," Heart tried the name out and just like the scent and body of its owner it held a familiar tie to it, "This time, please take my advice… now that you understand just what you are, you mustn't bow down to any human from now on. You're a wolf too and that means your sole purpose in life is to survive and live for paradise and your pack. You can't rely on the humans any longer." And with that, she stepped off the railing, letting herself free fall off the roof and land on a lower one. She took only a small moment to look back up to the tall building she left Blue on before shaking her head and starting back for the hideout.

A sudden flash of memory caught her off guard, making her steps stutter…

"_**Mommy!" Heart's puppy tongue lolled happily out of the side of her mouth as she rushed up to the adults returning from their kill. She by passed her father, a spitting image of herself and ran right up to a similarly colored female wolf. Her fur wasn't as dark as her mate's or pup's, it was a dark smokey grey, but she had a diamond shaped white marking on her forehead and one white front paw. Her warm blue eyes gazed welcomingly as she lowered her head to nuzzle her daughter…**_

"Mother…" Heart's head quickly turned back to look up at the roof once more, "It… it can't be…." She shook her head, trying to get her mind back on track, "It doesn't matter! There's no time for silly yearning of family! I got my own pack to feed now…" and with that she huffed, heaving the pack over her shoulder again and then darted off into the morning light.

0000oooo0000oooo

"Rise and shine, boys and girls," Heart announced as she entered the run down bus they called a hide out, "It's breakfast time!" she held up her pack with one hand, grinning triumphantly when the rest of her pack realized just how much she had gathered on her own.

"Took ya long enough!" Hige complained, even as he started to crowd close to her with his nose twitching at the bag. Heart jerked it away from him and used her free hand to push him back by the forehead.

"You're such a glutton, Hige." She grinned with mock-chagrin down at him, and then turned to face the others, "Did I miss anything?"

"Nothing much," Akira admitted where she sat near the front of the bus, watching Hige in amusement while he tried for Heart's pack of food once again and failed yet again, "I was only able to bring back what my arms could hold- some chicken and thrown out meatloaf."

"Yeah and we already went through it all." Hige added, pouting slightly when Heart once again evaded his attempts to get to the rest of the food, "Come on HEART! Share the love!"

"What love?" Heart arched an accusing brow.

"We're all still hungry! The chicken wasn't much!" Hige whined.

"You mean WE are still hungry." Tsume growled in frustration, drawing Heart's attention to the silver-haired man standing at the back of the bus with his arms crossed over his chest and his upper lip slightly pulled back to show a bit of his lengthened fangs, "You scarffed down that chicken before we could even get a sniff of it, porky!"

"Yeah and I'm STILL hungry!" the stocky wolf with the extra-large appetite groaned, "Besides, you guys got the meatloaf right?"

"It was half a meatloaf…" Akira deadpanned, "Besides, that poultry meat was supposed to be split amongst all of us. Not just your appetizer."

"Uuungh," Toboe whimpered as he clutched at his protesting stomach, "I feel my stomach attacking itself. I don't think that meatloaf was supposed to be edible…"

Tsume glanced at the pup amused, "You're a wolf, idiot. We can survive scavenging nearly rotten meat and our stomachs should be able to handle it. You were too pampered."

"Was not!" Toboe defended, but his stomach growled again, discounting his try save face as he slouched back down pitifully.

"Have no fear; I have plenty of meat and other goods to put some preservative meat on your bones for the travel!" Heart said happily as she dug into the pack and started handing out the day old meat and loafs of bread she found. She paused, glaring at Hige when she looked up from leaning over the pack of food to find him LEANING over her drooling at the food, "You get last dibs, porky." She dryly growled out Tsume's chosen nick name for the wolf.

Hige's face fell, "You're so cruel! What, was that pack you and Tsume used to run with made up of cold bitches and ruthless bastards?" he huffed half-heartedly.

Akira shot him a shocked-indignant glare and smacked Hige upside the head in retaliation, "Hush!" she hissed at him, then glanced over to Heart nervously to gage her reaction.

"The hell was that for? Did you actually SMACK me Akira?" Hige rubbed the back of his head. It hadn't hurt at all, but he was surprised the little she wolf had it in her to hit someone…. He followed her gaze to Heart and then looked back to her, guessing where this new influence must have come from.

Akira ignored him, sighing in relief when she realized that Heart was ignoring him as well as the elder she-wolf docilely handed out a fair share of food to each of the members of their mismatched pack. When she reached Cheza, the flower maiden refused, holding a hand up to stop Heart from coming closer.

"No, this one is more than full now." She smiled up at Heart who stared in confusion.

"Sorry?" Heart tilt her head, not understanding how Cheza could be full.

"Yeah, she soaked up plenty of sunlight this morning when the sun started to rise while you guys were still gone." Toboe explained as he ripped into his food hungrily, showing he was every bit a wolf as everyone else.

"Sunlight?" Heart looked out the window, taking note that it was about late-morning now, "Oh, well then please excuse me, Cheza," Heart apologized meekly to the maiden.

Cheza smiled back at Heart warmly, "All is well, This one did not tell anyone she ate from the sun and the moon."

"Man I wish my food came as easily as that." Hige said dreamily, "No more going hungry."

"We can get enough sustenance to survive when we bask in the moonlight, remember?" Kiba offered with a knowing smirk.

"I like to be well satisfied, not just survive, thank you." Hige groused back.

"So what are we up against?" Heart asked while they were all finishing up their seldom-enjoyed meal.

"They've got us surrounded, but they have holes in their defenses and look-outs. So we're moving at night to give us cover and empower us with the moon since it's in its waxing stages." Tsume replied.

"Yeah, there's this place the humans call the 'Forest of Death' since they tend to lose their way when they go into it." Toboe chimed in, "Something about their tracking devices going haywire when they get too deep in it."

"But with our noses, it shouldn't be a problem." Hige shrugged.

"Some humans said that it was cursed by the Darcia family by howling wolves of the hound of hell." Kiba said, "I bet it's just a pack of wolves using the myths as a cover for their home to stay untouched by humans."

"Mean's we'll have to tread carefully then." Tsume deduced with a morbid nod, "After all, if there is a pack in those woods, its probably made up of male rogues since female wolves are hard to come by, and with this oh so _great timing_ we're having of the seasons, we'll be a magnet with the girls' scent alone, not to mention Cheza's." he rolled his eyes.

"Timing? What's that have to do with anything?" Akira asked curiously, "And what are we 'girls' doing to hinder you, huh? We haven't done anything to draw attention have we?"

The other wolves just stared at her dumbly. All but Toboe seemed to know the gist of what Tsume was talking about, but Akira looked from each of them, getting nervous when no one seemed to speak.

"What?" she took a step back.

"Have you noticed that when we left the island it was still winter and cold every night, but after these past two months of traveling, the weather's gotten warmer?" Hige tried to get her to realize the hint.

"Yeah, spring is on its way, right?" Akira still wasn't getting what spring had to do with it either.

"Not only spring…. Spring fever?" he tried again with a waggle of his brows suggestively.

That just made her even more confused.

"Say what now? Spring fever? Is someone getting sick?" her wide orange eyes were so full of innocents that it made them all question just how she was brought up so sheltered.

"For the love of the MOON!" Tsume rolled his eyes, "If spring time is almost hear that means any day now you _women_ are going to give off a scent that's going to drive every unattached male with in miles crazy since there aren't many females as it is!"

"Oh…." She seemed to get it then as she looked down embarrassed, "Well… then shouldn't Heart and I take more frequent baths when that happens? I mean if we're going to smell that bad…" nope, she still didn't get it. Everyone just gawked at her in shock.

"I don't think that will help, Akira." Kiba sighed at her overwhelming innocents, "It's a hormonal thing. No amount of washing with water will do anything to delude it."

Akira just stared at him.

"Please tell me that you've had the talk about the Birds and the Bee's…" Tsume droned in dread.

Akira jerked up, blushing furiously, "Oh THAT!" she yelped, amusing her pack mates to a whole new level as she started to cower away from them shyly, "Uh yeah… I've had _that_ talk…. Bad memory." She blushed darkly as her heart pounded loud enough they could all easily hear it.

"Akira, are you ok?" Toboe was still in the dark about this, but no one felt the need to actually clue him in on mating rituals or … primitive urges.

"Did who-ever-give-you-the-talk bother to tell you that usually, Mother Nature gives us all a bit of a push about this time of the year? You know, mating season?" Heart elaborated, "What they mean is that as the female, we give off a scent to attract a mate and that scent stays with us for a few days. It's different for everyone and some don't even stop producing the scent until they've been claimed by a mate… in other words," the elder she-wolf was grinning like an imp when she realized how much Akira's heart rate was accelerating, "That scent you're about to produce makes you and all the unclaimed males around you want sex…."

Akira stiffened at the lewd word, not used to hearing such a thing spoken so freely, "….Oh." she said in a small voice, "Well what about the rest of you? If we have to worry about a pack of… horny rabid males, don't we have to be mindful of you guys as well?" she looked over her shoulder at the rest of the males in the small pack.

Tsume snorted with a roll of his eyes haughtily, " Yeah right…The only one you have to worry about humping you in your sleep would be Hige." He tilt his head towards Hige for emphasis.

"Bastard" Hige mumbled as he bristled silently.

"Since the other pack is dominant to us if they really are there and it would be their home land, they'll instinctively seek out any unattached female to integrate into their own pack. It's an instinct that keeps most from inbreeding." Kiba explained, "That instinct should be especially strong if they are a male-dominant pack."

"I doubt we have any ground to be worried about this little hormone acting up though. It's still winter at the moment." Heart reassured, "Spring is still about a week or so away."

"Doesn't mean it's not coming." Hige whined, "And it's not like she-wolfs just walk around in broad day light! You think wolves are hard to find, try finding an unmated female."

Heart and Akira gave him a pointed look.

"You two don't count." He huffed in a pout.

"The fact is…" Heart continued, "Even though Mating Season is a … frustrating time, it's not mind controlling. We all just have to agree to keep level heads and not give in to foolish urges. Deal?" she let her hand rest near her revolver, "And if someone should get out of line, I'm sure we can find some sort of motivation to get back IN line." She grinned slowly, knowing that her threat wasn't going to be a lost cause on the boys. Even Toboe who was only just now grasping the meaning of mating season took her threat to heart.

"So uhh… back to what we were saying…" Akira drew the conversation back to the matter at hand, "We leave at night then, right?"

Five sets of sensitive ears perked when they heard the tell tale signs of scouting devices humm nearby. The humans were on the move again to hunt them down.

"No. Now we move to a different spot to rest until dusk. Then we move." Tsume jerked his head in a signal that the rest of them should follow his lead as he crept out of the bus.

XPXPXPXPXPXPxpxpxpxp xpxpxpxpXPXPXPXPXPXPXPXPXP

Cher approached the graveyard of Darcia clan just out of the small run down town the team of soldiers she was traveling with were stationed. The scientist was thankful that the old man from the antique shop hadn't lead her astray, even though he seemed reluctant to give her any useful information other than silly legends of the Darcia family curse. She looked around somberly to take in the surroundings. Gravestones, both broken and still whole littered around the unkempt grass that looked sickly. It almost felt like she walked into an ancient black and white film filled with vampires and ghouls. A thin iron-barred gothic fence lined the boundaries of the graveyard, but it was broken in some places. The high arched gate had only one actual door while its partner was missing somewhere, she eventually found it hidden in the over grown grass a few yards off. The cobblestone path was littered and torn apart with thorny weeds and the trees of the forest had started to over run the place as well with their unkempt roots and vines claiming nearly every clear-spot available. Her blue eyes searched the horror-film worthy landscape for an answer to her restlessness, yet the blond scientist found nothing that seemed to give her peace. Only more questions.

"The Darcia Keep….," she looked in the general direction the newer edition of the family Keep that had been built for the house of the Darcia clan after the fall of the castle so many years before in the great Nobles War. She then turned behind her were said remains of the castle barely stood above the small town it once ruled over prosperously, "The Darcia Castle," she then looked around her, "and the Darcia Graveyard." They all kept popping up whenever she tried to research the wolves and Cheza's existence, but why…?

"They must all have something connecting them. The Nobles War was a secrete war with little information about its origins or reason… thought aloud.

Did the Darcia family have a hidden secrete pertaining to the wolves and Cheza? Was that why Lord Orchem and Lady Jagura's armies were starting to kill each other over the flower? Orchem and Jagura had been allies during the war since the Darcia clan was once the powerhouse of the three Noble families, and even now, the stand still between all three of the nobles was only because lord Orchem had hidden the flower close to a vital area for his county's lands. To attack him was to attack the flower and neither Jagura nor the fallen Lord Darcia had been arrogant enough to try and over take Orchem in effort not to harm the flower…

Until now.

"What are the missing pieces you're hiding?" she whispered up at the statue of a deceased Darcia Lord that stood proudly above her, still looking every bit as regal as the real lord must have been even though there were a few bits a pieces of stone missing from the artwork.

A soft chime of something light ad metallic dancing in the breeze disturbed the haunting silence of the graveyard and Cher felt a chill run up her spine as she heard the telltale rustles of footsteps. It didn't sound human at all…

She quickly turned around with a sharp inhale, her hand going for her stun-gun under her coat but she froze in place when her aquamarine eyes fell on silver fur belonging to her stalker. He stood tall with his head held high and proud as he watched her from atop one of the tallest tombs that still stood standing. His long fur dancing in the wind in front of him as his tail swayed at his side. She instinctively knew he wasn't here to harm her, but that didn't make his presence any less nerve wrecking than it was with the under current of power the large wolf must have.

"You…" she whispered. The moon behind him made his silvery fur look white in its reflection, "You're the wolf that stood beside Cheza, aren't you?" she quickly disagreed with that thought. This creature didn't have the soft downy white of the former wolf that had stood beside Cheza with a golden gaze worthy of a wolf god. He may be presenting himself with just as much dominance and power as white one that dragged off Akira before, but this one had a darker white to him- actual metallic silver fur with eyes that were dual colored: one a typical wolfs' eye that bore a haunting green while the other looked almost human with the white eyeball surrounding the blue iris. A feature that brought to mind the very Darcia Cher had come across a month ago when Lord Darcia had stolen Cheza….

She felt nervousness return in full force. She hadn't come across this wolf before, and while the others had yet to harm her, she knew they had some kind of truce that protected her from their wrath, but this one was a lone wolf. He probably didn't run with them and could attack her and kill her easily. She took a step back slowly, stepping on a branch and feeling her throat tighten when his pointed ears twitched at the sound. Her eyes widened in fear when he lowered his head and started to climb down the tomb, closing the fifteen yards of safety Cher had taken small comfort in before now.

Cher stopped backing up when something caught the light of the moon and shimmered in her eye. She spied the silver chain hanging around his neck, a familiar crucifix swaying with his steps. She recognized the collar…

"I know you…. Don't I," she whispered taking looking closer look at him. She noticed now that when he stopped a few yards away, respectfully almost, he wasn't putting a show of dominance. He wasn't trying to intimidate her, he hardly looked like he was angry with her. His silent, stoic disposition gave off the impression he was merely watching her. He didn't approach her any further, but his body was turned in a way that suggested he would flee quickly should she make a wrong move, rather than attack.

Feeling brave with her wave of de'javu, she started to approach him cautiously when the wolf suddenly lowered his head and snarled fiercely with his metallic silver fur standing on end around the scruff of his neck and his ears pinned back. She pulled up short, a breath caught in her throat in a sudden wave of panic that she had been wrong; thinking it was it was her he was snarling at, but a low chuckle startled her to a new presence. She turned her back on the wolf sharply to face this new threat that had the wolf so threatened and angry.

"I see you have met my pet." The low voice sounded amused, "Don't worry, he seems to like women and detest men. Force is all I can do to him to keep him from tearing into me." The blue-eyed man's small smirk sharpened when the wolf's growl increased in volume with a biting bark.

"Darcia…." Cher breathed out, her heart doing flip-flops.

"I'm afraid that you're getting to close to untouched stories," he held his fingers close to his eye patch…..

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The soldier huddled with his squad near the abandoned bus the suspects had last been reported sighted near, "Your mission is simple, go in there and kill all but the target. Got it?"

"Yes SIR!" the soldiers obediently said in unison.

"Take'm out"

"SIR!" they saluted and went into motion.

The silently approached the bus. The leader counted off in fingers to three, then lead the troop recklessly as they let loose instant chaos, lighting up the bus windows with flashes of gunshots form their machine guns when they busted in and let bullets fly. When it was all clear, one soldier stuck his head out and gave the OK sign to approach.

As the commander approached, they uncovered the ratty old blanket the target had been under and were surprised to see it empty underneath.

"The HELL?" a soldier gasped.

"They fuck'n escaped. That's what." The Commander growled. He kicked the side of the bus in frustration, "FUCKING HELLS! I don't get paid enough for this." He took out his walkie-talkie.

"Commander to base, Commander to base, do you read me?" he spoke in it, "Mission unsuccessful. Suspects escaped."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"We read you, sir" a soldier sighed and turned off the connection, "Damn; those kids are slippery little bastards." His partner on watch agreed.

"I'll say," the men turned quickly to the unfamiliar husky voice behind them.

A young woman with dark tanned skin and seductive red eyes stood with her hips cocked to the side. She wore their uniform, though it was only the outer jumpsuit, the zipper was down to her stomach, showing off her bra underneath that strained against the tight jumpsuit. She must not have gotten the right fitting since her armor and uniform fitted poorly, but she was an eyeful to the uncomplaining soldiers.

"Wa-wait," one stuttered as a lustful blush marred his nose, "Who are you? I don't remember you being on this mission…"

"I'd remember a bo-face like that," his partner agreed.

They were in a stupor as the woman smiled at them lazily and swayed her hips as she sauntered up to them. Her red eyes were fiery though she kept her body cool and calm. The men could barely hear much else other than the rapid pulses of their suddenly pounding hearts. She gave them a slow salute, since her uniform and armor gave the impression that she was a rank inferior to them and they saluted back… in more ways than one, embarrassingly enough.

"You know, there should be more of the guards up tonight." She commented, tucking her arms against her body underneath her supple chest. They couldn't help but appreciate the way the small gesture made her already straining breasts round up even more enticingly than before. Both took note that her black bra was silk…

"Where are the others?" she asked, smirking knowingly when it took them a moment to reply.

"We're low on guards right now because most of us are storming the targets location, but that was unsuccessful so they're searching now." One answered with out thinking she should have known that if she were one of them. He was too caught up in HER to think logically.

"Really?" she smirked suddenly darkly, "Well, then I'm sorry, gentlemen," she shrugged.

"For what?"

"Because I'm not really sorry for this-," Heart said calmly and quicker than either could blink, she whipped out her revolver, a silver bullet struck one of them in the head so fast, the one left alive didn't even register it until precious moments later when she was cocked and loaded once again, gun pressed into his forehead dangerously.

"Bu-But you're-," he stuttered.

"Not one of you." She said darkly as she backed him up to the truck behind him, pinning him there, "Tell me how many are here!" she demanded.

"Th-Thirty!" he yelped. Heart noticed with disgust that his lustful blush was still across the bridge of his nose and growled dangerously in disgust when her thigh felt the proof of it rubbing against it.

"Ugh!" she spat in disgust, quickly pulling the trigger of her revolver and let his brains blow out against the side of the truck, quickly backing away from him covering her mouth, "That's disgusting!" she shivered.

"Hey, what's going on here!" another soldier demanded as the other 'thirty' quickly reacted to the gunshots heard in the camp.

Heart glared at the surplus she found. The damnable bastard had lied- there were more than thirty around here, even though only about five of them approached her. She could sense the rest of them just beyond the trucks.

She pressed herself against the side of the trucks, waiting for them to come, then, before they could understand what was happening, her revolver fired three shots, one in a head, one in a heart and one in a neck artery. Three were down and bleeding to death. She tripped the fourth one with her long legs, shoving him face first into the steal of the truck with enough strength to break his neck on contact. Her red eyes spied the fifth one that gawked at her since all this happened in seconds!

"Why you-!" she didn't let him finish as she lunged forward, rising her sharp knee high and nailing him in the groin, doubling him over, "F-F-F-UCKING HE-L" he tried to stutter, but she switched legs as she turned in a round-house kick and knocked him a few feet away. She narrowed her eyes on him as she caught herself from her attacks momentum and found a gun pointed at her. This one had better recovery time than the others apparently. She froze, ready to dodge at the last minute when he fired, "EAT THIS YOU BITCH!" he readied his gun.

"You have no idea just how much of a heinous bitch she really is," Hige sighed from behind the startled fallen soldier. Before the soldier could look over his shoulder in surprise, Hige struck him with a fist that had enough power in it to dent one of the army trucks, cracking his skull and breaking his neck in the after shocks of the powerful blow.

"So I'm a bitch now?" Heart cocked a brow while she righted her self, reloading her gun, "You looking to get neutered?" She frowned at something while her gun clicked at the ready once again, making Hige cringe.

"Well you actually are! Literally if you haven't noticed!" Hige defended just as they were hailed with bullets.

"You're point?" Heart groused as they rolled to safety under the truck. She inched up and fired back, taking out a few but hissed in anger that even though she struck down a good some of them, there were still more enemy guns to take up the slack their dead had just given way to, "Damn it!"

"What?" Hige covered his head as he ducked lower into the ground they huddled in under the truck, "Aren't you gonna shoot back?" he growled, "That's your thing, remember!"

"Out'ta bullets." Heart grumbled, not seeming the least bit troubled that now they were defenseless against the machine guns, but more concerned that her precious revolver wouldn't be firing anytime soon.

"ARE YOU INSANE! NOW WE'RE GOING TO BECOME FISHING NETS WITH ALL THE HOLES THEY'LL PUT IN US!" Hige wanted to shake her but wisely kept his hands to himself. Thoughts he couldn't shoot him with silver bullets, Heart was still the better fighter between the two of them.

"Relax, Hige." Heart whipped off her gun and sheathed it with a content smile, "I'd say the Calvary's about to arrive in three…. Two…. One-," on cue, they heard various yelps and grunts of pain and shouts of surprise as the gunfire lessened sharply and then stopped all together.

"What just happened…." Hige blinked.

"The Calvary just happened." Heart grinned as she turned on her stomach and wiggled out from under the truck, "Come on, let's get going."

Hige followed her example, quickly coming face to face with an annoyed-looking Tsume soon as he wrenched himself free from under the army truck, "Oh, so you're the cavalry, Tsume?" he asked innocently.

"You should have been able to take out those fifty soldiers on your own with your little gun," Tsume spat at the weapon with loathing as he eyed Heart admonishingly.

Heart shrugged, "Bullet's ran out." She replied, ignoring his attempt to lecture her.

"Maybe if you didn't waste time trying to catch them off guard with your little costume-act, you could have stolen some more bullets rather than seducing a man out of his clothing to blend in." Tsume gritted through his teeth. Really, the she-wolf could never just go into battle head on! She always had to saunter her way in like a vixen!

"Girl's gotta keep practice in teasing a couple of men, now doesn't she?" Heart's brow waggled a bit suggestively. Hige looked from her to Tsume cautiously and stayed silent, letting the impending fight blow over since his interference would only blow it up higher, "Besides, I needed a little fun to lighten up the occasion." She flicked her hair over her shoulder.

"FUN!" Tsume bristled and stomped his foot, "You think this is a game! That you can go around just flaunting off your body to any fucking male that's not pack because you're bored and want to get a reaction! IS THAT YOUR IDEA OF FUN?" Tsume barked.

Heart turned away from him with a frown, "You say it as if I'm trying to whore myself out. In a battle, the smartest way to go about it is to use any advantage you have over the enemy, I use lust because its easiest for me to control my enemies that are so weak minded." She glared over her shoulder at him, "I don't do it because I want the attention of those poorly-disciplined fools."

"Could have fooled me." Tsume snorted.

Heart grinned as she turned away gain slyly, "One would think you're acting a bit jealous, Tsume."

"Jealous? Of what-," Tsume nearly bit his tongue when Heart proceeded to shimmy out of her jumpsuit, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING NOW!"

Heart stood there in her black satin underwear shaking out the army jumpsuit she just shucked off herself. The undergarments weren't scanty, but looked rather sexy as hell to Hige! The stockier of the two men let his jaw drop and drool slightly drip in appreciation from the side of his mouth while his eyes widened. Tsume could only stare in shock as she bent down with her back to them, rummaging through the fallen jumper and pulled out her clothes from its pockets, then redressed herself. His heart slowed in shock that she was practically naked in front of him, then seemed to jumpstart and burst into overdrive in a matter of seconds. It thundered in his ears and his skin became hot and uncomfortable under his clothing. He swallowed with a cotton tongue, but his golden eyes refused to blink or drag away from the tanned goddess until he got a good look of her before she was covered up by her own clothing… if you could call the bright red tank top and crop jacket much cover-up. Now that he thought about it… the skin-tight black leather ripped pants did little to hide her curves either…

Tsume snapped out of his daze at seeing Heart's near-naked backside when he heard Hige panting. He glared sidelong at the younger wolf and then proceeded to backhand him hard enough for Hige to go tumbling backwards. Hige had been so worked up that the attack didn't even register to his lusty-fogged brain until he was planted butt first into the ground looking up at a pissed off Tsume.

"OW! HEY!" Hige yelped and held his nose, "What was that for!" he pushed himself up and glared right back up at the narrowed golden eyes.

"The scent of your near ejaculation is revolting." Tsume snorted, "Control yourself, dumbass before I make sure you don't have the option for THAT much." He gritted through his teeth as he arched his neck threateningly.

"INCOMING!" Heart shouted precious seconds before bullets hailed the trio once again.

Tsume snagged Hige by the back of his collar and hauled him to the safety of the steal wall that was part of one stock building the troops had put up to protect their armory while they were stationed here. Hige panted when Tsume finally dropped him, making sure to insert himself between the younger wolf and the she-wolf as the gray-haired man squatted down among them, glaring over Heart's shoulder at the men closing in on them.

"DUDE WHAT THE FUCK!" Hige barked indignantly, "TRYING TO CHOKE ME NOW?"

"Shove it." Tsume retorted half-heartedly, "I just saved your life and you know it, Porky."

"Porky?" Hige bristled.

"Hige!" Heart leaned over Tsume to smother Hige's protests, covering his mouth with her hands, "CAN IT!" she hissed, "They lost sight of us when we took hiding! This is our chance to confuse them and lead them away from the others and escape ourselves, you dope!" she took no notice that her upper body was also shoving Tsume into the wall, rendering him speechless with her boobs right in his face, "Do you understand? Keep quiet!" she whispered.

Hige nodded quickly, and Heart slowly let her hands fall, feeling something strange on her chest. She looked down to see Tsume practically face-planted in her cleavage…. She saw red.

"TSSUUUUUMEEEEE!" Tsume braced himself for impact as Heart booted him away from her and promptly into the open-fire range, surprising the soldiers that one of their targets just went flying into range as if… someone tossed him there….

"I'll….kill….that….bitch…" Tsume coughed, shrugging the dirt off him after he landed in his wolf form to save himself from injuries. The gray wolf was noticeably red in the face with embarrassment…. Wolves blush?

"So much for 'lead them away quietly'." Hige mused dryly.

Heart turned her rage towards him, making him yelp, "SHUT UP AND GO FIGHT COWARD!" she booted him out as well.

"I DIDN'T MEAN IIIIIIIIIIT!" Hige howled as he flew through the air, shifting to wolf form as well like Tsume had earlier. Tsume sidestepped out of the way, snorting a spiteful breath when Hige's fluffy body collided with the hard earth and tossed dirt clods everywhere.

"I really… think she's got… something shoved too far up…" Hige mumbled into the ground as he shakily pushed himself up.

The soldiers snapped out of their stupor and the ceasefire was over. The wolves flinched and ducked low when they were once again in the midst of bullets. Tsume dashed off, dodging easily around the bullets and started taking down one human at a time. Hige was at his flank, taking out the humans the older wolf missed.

Heart waited for the stupid males to take out the rest of the soldiers, arms crossed over her chest, face twisted in indignant fury as a red hot blush darkened her mocha skin, "Stupid, stupid…. Stupid idiotic MALES!" she roared.

Her red eyes spotted movement from the corner of her eye. A flash of white- KIBA!

She watched intently as the white wolf cautiously poked his head out of their hiding spot the wolves had been sleeping in all day. His golden eyes took in Hige and Tusme's fight with the humans and he spotted Heart. A silent understanding fell between the two as she watched Kiba shift to human form and duck back into the bush-entrance to their hide out; an old bomb shelter that had become over grown with foliage. He returned moments later, hand-in-hand with Cheza with Toboe at her flank. Akira stumbled out last, bringing up the rear of the foursome. Her orange eyes spied Heart for a second and Heart saw worry etched in those warm oranges.

"Go." She said softly, knowing her hybrid friend would hear it, even just barely over the gunfire behind her.

Akira hesitated for only a moment more…

"Akira!" she turned sharply at Kiba's insistent voice. He had helped both Toboe and Cheza into the abandoned pipes of the city. They were going to use the system to get around the soldiers to the other side of the city and to the safety of the Forest of Death, "COME ON!"

"Coming!" Akira turned tail and dashed off, taking his hand he held out to her. He helped hoist her into the large pipe and disappear down the dark passageway….

But not before being spotted by a vengeful one….

Quent cocked his gun at the ready. Rage buzzed in his alcohol heavy mind as he staggered after them. He took one look at the pipe and then followed where it lead into the side of the building, "They're trying to avoid everyone." He growled and held his gun at the ready, "It ain't gonna be that easy, wolfies…"

96969696969696969696

"Did we HAVE to take the sewage pipes?" Akira gasped for air as she burst out of the leaking pipe and to the open air of the field just outside of the city.

Toboe and Cheza were right behind her but not as animated in their escape of the foul-smelling pipe. Kiba was the last to escape, shaking his shaggy mane of dark brown out of his eyes as he dusted the grime off his pilots jacket, "Your senses are still too untrained to understand that that reeking smell in there is nothing compared to most things wolves must endure to escape." He said matter-of-factly.

"Well I AM untrained." Akira coughed the smell out of her mouth as she fisted her hands on her knees and bent over, trying not to barf as well, but… just in case.

"Are you seriously losing your stomach over that?" Kiba questioned behind her with a smug smile.

"NO!" Akira jerked up embarrassed.

Toboe looked around them nervously, taking a step back towards Cheza. The field they'd ended up in was vast and wide with tall dead grass coming up to their calves. The city behind them was raised up on cemented blocks a few stories above ground level to the field. A rock wall seemed to be built on top of that to keep people from falling off to the deaths, but there was an eerie gap in the wall that looked like it had been recently blasted open. The field stretched for hundreds of yards before it ran smack into a halt at a dense tree line. The shadows of the trees cast a foreboding sense of danger that ran up the pup's spine and strangled a small whine from his throat. Even Cheza seemed a bit uneasy with their surroundings. The moon loomed overhead, though it wasn't its full brilliance just yet. The gentle candlelight of its beams were the only light offered to the wolves and the flower.

"This place is really starting to give me the creeps." Akira shivered as she inched closer to Kiba's side unconsciously.

Toboe was also getting anxious to get out of there, "Shouldn't they be here by now?"

"They're here." Kiba looked up at the gap in the wall just in time to see Heart, Tsume, and Hige leap down to join them.

"That was a wonderful stretch!" Heart held her arms above her head to stretch them.

"Was seduction part of your stretching exercises?" Tsume growled grouchily.

"You're just jealous and are too stubborn to admit it cause you know you're never gonna touch this." She snapped back rather heatedly before her heated fire became a seductive flare as she sauntered closer to him teasingly, "besides, you were thoroughly enjoying the little peepshow I was generous enough to indulge you in before"

Tsume jerked back startled and flustered as he was caught off guard, "So I can what? Get STD?" he smirked.

Heart's front fell quickly into scorn as she growled back at him and shoved her way into his personal space, getting nearly nose-to-nose with the suddenly surprised silver-gray haired man who tried to stand his ground and not lean into her, "You know I'd probably cure what ever STD you had so it's your loss and an opening for a better, brighter future to me, bastard." She huffed.

"YOU—," a gun shot cut Tsume off as the bullet whizzed through the small space between them and barely missed Toboe's left boot, leaving an indent in the earth beneath the grass.

"Shit!" Hige yelped when they all quickly looked in the direction the bullet came from, a sense of horror washing through them when they saw the powerful shotgun aimed and ready to fire with Quent behind it.

"GO TO HELL YOU DAMNED WOLVES! THIS IS WHERE YOU BECOME EXTINCT _PERMANENTLY_!" the old hunter pulled the trigger and a deadly bullet burst forth, followed by another and then another and another. Quent was shooting and reloading at such a pace that it was almost inhuman! He shot blindly at them, aiming in the general direction they were clumped at in the field. He didn't care if it was a waste of bullets, so long as one GOT them!

"MOVE!" Kiba barked his makeshift pack into action as he grabbed Cheza's hand, leading her towards safety.

"Akira!" Cheza called, reaching out to grasp Akira's arm and drug her with Cheza and Kiba linked.

The rest of the pack zigzagged through the tall grass, keeping low and using the grass as a small shield that did little to hide them from Quents rage. All but Akira and Kiba had reverted to wolf form to maneuver better, "GO AHEAD AND RUN YA LITTLE BASTARDS! I'LL KILL YA ALL!" he roared from the city wall's gap, still shooting blindly into the grass.

Quent grinned as he realized this. He reloaded his gun and actually took professional aim this time, looking through his gun's aiming device and had it lock on to a wave of bright red hair that was a stark contrast to the pale grass she zigzagged in, "Got ya…" Quent pulled the trigger, cursing as it whizzed right through her hair, foregoing any skin or causing any injury, "FUCK IT!" He cursed.

"KYYA!" Cheza screamed as the bullet ricochet off the ground and pierced straight through her ankle. She fell forward, taking Akira with when the redhead dove to try and break her fall. Kiba was jerked back suddenly, from holding Cheza's hand and rolled at the last second to avoid landing on them both! The three of them had churned up quite a bit of dust and were dazed for a moment, confused at what just happened.

"AH-HAAA! GOTYA!" Quent shouted victoriously as he aimed his gun once more at the prone targets ready to pull the trigger, "THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS!"

"AKIRA!" Heart cried out when she and the others slid to a stop in the safety of the tree line. She started forward to help, but Tsume and Hige tackled her in place.

"KIBA, CHEZA!" Toboe called with her in fear from where they watched helplessly out of range while Kiba and Akira were unable to gather their wits fast enough to move Cheza away.

Moonlight reflected off a metallic silver blur that shot through the grass, leaving barely a wind wake in its path just as Quent jerked the trigger. The bullet seemed to fly in slow motion towards the three stunned youth lying on the ground as if they were staring death in the face. The bullet never reached any of them…

Red-hot blood splashed the bullet found purchase in a hot body, but Quent stood dumbfounded when it wasn't one of his intended prey, but a tall, blond haired man with tanned skin. His white blazer was torn and barely able to stay on him, now soaked in red blood that wept from the wound in the young man's shoulder while he huffed for breath in heavy pants. His black pants were ripped at the knees and he was barefoot, but despite his less than formal appearance, the young man commanded the attention of the whole field as the aftershock of the fired bullet echoed and eventually faded to silence.

"He… he blocked it!" Quent shook slightly, "But where did he come from!" he knew he had been tracking four wolves to begin with. Four had somehow become six and then that weird white maiden showed up so that made seven, now this guy shows up! Clearly he was another wolf, but this one seemed to come out of nowhere! What were they- suicidal now!

The young man didn't look back as he stood regally over the ones he protected, staring the old man down as if daring him to take another shot, noting that the human was undergoing mild shock and was immobile for just a moment, "Go, get out of here while he's stunned." He said in a deep tenor voice that had Akira's ears perking in recognition, "I'll take care of the human." The voice snarled.

Kiba didn't waste time for question. He and Akira quickly helped Cheza up, then Kiba scooped the maiden into his arms and turned to leave, fully expecting Akira to follow his lead. Akira started after him as she reverted to wolf form, but hesitated. She watched as Kiba made it to the safety of the trees in the blink of an eye, knowing Cheza was safe. Her orange eyes slowly trailing to the ground and then back to the stranger with a heart full of hope busting inside her.

"J…Jasper?" she whispered.

There was no answer, but when she took a tentative sniff, her untrained sense of smell immediately knew who it was from memory, "It really is you, isn't it Jazz?" the young man before her reverted to his own wolf form, a silvery furred beast that was almost white like Kiba, but held a metallic sheen and a darkened tail. He turned his head to the side, letting her see the green-eye of a wolf and the crucifix that dangled around his neck.

"Akira," he replied softly. Jasper was so happy to see his baby sister again, and yet so grieved as well. What would she say about her brother if she knew he was tied to their enemy in an impenetrable blood bond?

Moisture collected in the bright orange eyes of the red she-wolf as she rushed forward and crushed her nose into the fur of his neck, "Jasper! I thought you were dead! After Shura died, I thought I was all that was left of us! I'm so happy you're alive and well!" she sobbed into his fur.

Jasper felt his heart crumble, '_Shura's gone?'_ he grimaced, thinking about the pups they had all been so excited to meet… now they were all gone. He would never meet his younger siblings or see his warm stepmother or father again. All that was left was Akira… and she was unreachable to him by fault of Darcia! Shura and Sasuke died because Darcia stole away CHEZA! It was all Darcia's fault! He started to growl lowly in pent up rage, startling Akira.

"J-Jazz?" she backed away a little bit, but Jasper's paw came up behind her neck and held her to him.

"I will find you again, little sister, I promise I won't let him hurt you."

"Wh-who?" He pushed her away again, suddenly alert.

"Shit…" he cursed, crouching low.

"Jasp-KYA!" a bullet suddenly aimed for Akira's head barely missed her left ear, scaring Akira into a yelp and then silence.

Quent seemed to have snapped out of his stupor and had aimed at Akira but missed just barely just now. He fired a follow up shot aimed for her again, but Jasper barreled into her, knocking her to the ground and both of them out of danger. She was still unable to see her brother's face since he smothered her into his chest in an effort to shield her.

"AKIRA!" Kiba called from the direction of the woods, his voice sounding closer than it should be, '_is he actually coming out here for me?'_ Akira panicked.

Jasper gently lifted himself from her just enough to let her wiggle out, "Go to him." He looked over his shoulder to try and gage when the hunter would fire again.

"What? What about you?" Akira yelped.

"I'm not going." Jasper snapped, "Look, just go to that white guy and let him be your shield till you get to the trees. White attracts a bullet better than red anyways so you got a good chance at not getting shot." He reasoned.

"But Jazz-,"

"I SAID GO!" he barked at her, forcing her from under him. Akira jerked away startled, but once more tired to get a glimpse of her brother's face before they parted. She could only see one side of it- he wasn't at the right angle for her to see him full on since he was glaring back at the hunter.

"Akira, we gotta go!" Kiba's white wolf form was suddenly upon her, herding her away like a cutting horse did to a cow.

"But-,"

"AKIRA JUST GO!" Jasper shouted angrily.

Gulping harshly and going against her better judgment, Akira stopped struggling with Kiba and raced him back to the safety of the others.

Jasper watched her go, feeling his heart in the pit of his stomach. He hoped he survived long enough to see his little sister again. He missed her and now with their stepmother and father gone… he shook his head. Jasper turned back to Quent and stared at him right in the eye while the old man chuckled.

"Your friends have all left you" he rasped loudly as he took aim again, "See what wolves do when their own kind shows them kindness?" he pulled the trigger only to come up blank, "Damn it!" he cursed as he fumbled to reload.

Jasper grinned wolfishly and didn't give him that kind of time. Quent looked up startled to find the silver canine beast standing right in front of him as if it had just used magic to teleport there, "Wha-the," it was upon him before he could sputter any protest, lunging at him and tackling him to the ground.

"GET THE HELL OFF ME!" he roared as the wolf pushed him down and snagged the gun away in its teeth. To Quents surprise, the wolf bolted off of him soon as he was disarmed. He watched in horror as the its jaws sapped clean through his top of the line weapon, leaving it in pieces at the wolf's front paws, "You-…you…YOU BASTARD!" he glared at the beast, shaking his fists.

The silver wolf just stared at him in its ominous way, before leaping down the wall again and disappeared in the tall grass, then reappearing briefly at the small parting between the field grass and the thick trees. It turned to look at him one last time before vanishing completely. Quent was disgusted, he had just been spared by none other than a wolf he had just shot!

"Akira! Why didn't you follow me the first time when we fled?" Kiba demanded aggravated that she had once again disobeyed him in some way.

"I-It was him!" she stuttered out of breath.

"Him? Him who?" Tsume cocked an eyebrow.

"That Silver-guy! Didn't you see him? He had a chain around his neck and-,"

"You mean the Rouge?" Kiba cut her off looking a bit peeved that she would mention him.

"Yeah, we all saw him. That guy was crazy! Who in their right mind would want to get shot? Do we even know him?" Hige seemed awed that there was such a nut job that didn't dodge bullets but took them for other doomed souls instead.

"YES!" Akira growled out in frustration. You'd think that since they asked her for information, they'd learn to listen to what she had to say!

"Who was he then?" Heart asked while she helped Cheza tend to the flower maidens wounded ankle that was already healing.

"That wolf out there was my half brother, Jasper…"

A/N- there you go…. Nearly SIXTY pages long! Oooo de laudy! I think for this revision stuff it's going to be once a month updates (pants for breath)

Anyways, So I start Community College soon (Aug 16). No more University for now, my academic skills took a beating so now I'm trying to lay low for a bit.

I HAVE NEW ART ON DEVIANT ART! LOOK ME UP! New Heart and Akira art is up and colored via PhotoShop on my Deviant Account .com/

^_^ I love drawing!

So anyways…. REVIEW RESPONCES!

-Amber- I know it was a while! Lol but now ya got 60 pages worth to make up for! Lol this one was by far one of the harder ones to revise as of now. I keep introducing more to the plot since I felt it was lacking before buuuut… it means I gotta think more on how to wrap it all together and keep near the same story plot before! Lol hmmm, since you said with a cherry on top… (makes a sour face) cherries are nasty, but STRAWBERRIES… hmm for a strawberry I guess I could lol

-Canis simensis- I hope the move went ok! Yup, little Akira has to cope with her wolfish instincts to kill and hunt now and she's starting to grow up and understand just what she is! I'm happy you loved the chapter! It makes my day when ppl say things like that!

-Bleach1fan- you know, I just started watching Bleach again via subs starting where the dub version left off… then I kinda skipped the next saga with the little blond girl after about the fifth episode of it, but I did read it- daaaaaaaaamn! I remember why I love bleach, so now im obsessed with Bleach and DBZ lol! I'm on the Second Arancar arc! I loved Code Geass! Akira will start letting loose a bit more soon ^_^ the savagery is just getting started!

-Wolfsbane- I felt kinda bad that Little Laura didn't really have character development, sooooo I'm entering her earlier, though she's still kinda n OUTSIDE character until later on ^_^

-KillerHotFeline- Hey girlie numba 1! I really enjoy tempting Kiba and making him seem more believable! I honestly think that if he had an actual love intrest in the anime/manga he'd react to her in a similar way he does Akira, but I just love messing with him via Akira! And viceversa too!

-PussyCatLover- HaHa, I might put a flash back for Jazz later on in the story, but for now that will remain a mystery since Jasper barely recalls it himself.

-Hachik- ^_^ It makes me smile that I could get the characters emotion through to my audience! I hope this chapter lived up to expectations for you!

-Vongola Ottavo- seeing your name again makes me want to create a character named Von Ottolaver. Lol! I think I've heard of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Now I want to go see it! I'm happy you like Akira! I love writing her!

-Venom- LoL! The movie WANTED actually gave birth to a lot of Heart's attitude with her weapon! Ironic!

-Carnage- ^_^ If you liked that, wait for the next couple of chapters. Those are getting AMPED up from before!

-Luriaz Seint- Jazz will have a LOT happen to him before this is over lol he kinda is the character with one of the harder paths

I LOVED ALL OF YOUR REVIEWS AND CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YA!

But I dooooo have a poll- ESPECIALLY for those of you who have read on a head into the next few chapters….

My issue now is not whether or not to put in a bit more descriptive carnage or not or Lemonz (yes, there will be lemons, but they will be heavily warned and easily able to skip if that offends you)

The question is that there is an Atempt of rape in the next few chapters. Its very vage right now (too vage to look right with the rest of the edits) should I leave it be or go into a bit more detail, and description? I don't wanna offend my readers since it IS rape, so I'd like to know the oppions of those who've read the story BEFORE. If this is your first time reading it, pleas don't skip ahead and ruin it for you!

Thank you kindly!

-Dessy-San


	10. Chapter 9 The Forest of Death

_The smell of your skin lingers on me now_

_You're flight back to your hometown_

_I need some shelter of my own protection baby_

_To be with my self and center_

_Clarity _

_Peace _

_Serenity_

_I hope you know_

_I hope you know_

_That this has nothing to do with you_

_It's personal, myself and I_

_We got some straitening out to do _

_And I'm not gonna miss you _

_Like a child misses their blanket_

_Its time to be _

_A big girl now…_

_And big girls don't cry…._

_**Big girls Don't cry- Fergie **_

Chapter 9- the Forest of Death

More than half a day has passed since Akira had a run in with her brother and the pack had barely escaped from death's call. Deeper and deeper they roamed into this Forest of Death that had the humans all worked up about trying to avoid. Toboe's sharp ears were flickering all around, trying to catch any small sound to belie life in this silent forest. His sensitive hearing was almost ringing with the heavy silence, only able to pick up the breath, heart beat and foot falls of his fellow pack members. The pup kept close to Akira's side, taking comfort in the elder females presence.

Hige took up the lead since his sense of smell was, like Toboe's sense of hearing, far superior to the others. The wolf raised his head in the air, black nose twitching rapidly as he inhaled, processed and inhaled again.

"I can't hear anything for miles," Toboe sighed, "What about you Hige? Your nose is twitching isn't it?"

"Hmmm," Hige murmured to himself while he paused, letting the others pass him by, "Let's see… you guys said that wolves were rumored to be here?" he perked his furry ears towards Tsume and Kiba, who were now getting further ahead of him.

"Yeah, that's why we're trying to take the lower grounds so our scent doesn't follow easily with the wind." Kiba said back with out turning around from where he walked in front. Tsume was off to his side while Akira and Cheza were not far behind Kiba. Heart lagged in the back in solitude this time to make sure Hige and Toboe didn't fall behind.

"Then why don't I smell anything? This is a forest right? You'd think we would see some kind of animals if Wolves really lived here, right?" his stomach growled.

"Don't tell me you're already hungry?" Toboe sighed, "Heart and Akira just brought us food this morning!"

"Toboe, think about that for a moment." Hige sighed when the younger wolf took up his side, "I am Hige- I eat there for I am."

Toboe gave him a blank look, "So… you're saying you really are hungry?"

"Yes."

"But that made no sen-,"

Hige glared at the pup half-heartedly, effectively shutting the kid up, "The point of the matter IS…" he drawled as he started to address the others with a huff of annoyance set to his fluffy features, "For a place supposedly inhabited by wolves… I have yet to even come across Skunk Stench." His _enthusiasm _did little to lift the moral of the pack.

"Great. Just great," Tsume shook his head in irritation as he promptly sat down on his haunches to rest. The others took that as a sign and one by one formed a circle as they sat down to rest.

"Wait, maybe the reason you can't smell them, Hige, or hear them, Toboe, is because they just don't inhabit this area of the mountain?" Akira suggested.

"Could…be," Heart agreed, "But just maybe they were ran off because of how dead this place has become. All I can smell is dirt and dead plants." The elder she wolf's voice got softer and lower when she said, "Or maybe the same thing that killed the forest got them as well…"

Akira straightened in alarm, her fur slightly ruffled while Toboe whined at her side, looking around worriedly, "R-Really?" the pup gulped, eventually jerking his eyes away from the eerie darkness and back to Heart, "L-l-l-like what?"

"Could be anything," Heart shrugged indifferently, "Could be something like disease, or a stronger, more evolved predator, or even the wolves themselves! These are hard times after all, its not unheard of for large packs to go cannibalistic and turn on their weak, then eventually one another."

Now even Hige was getting slightly disturbed. Toboe was curled into Akira's fur, shivering nervously while the red she-wolf didn't fair much better with her teeth chattering. Hige sat beside them, looking almost calm, but the spiked fur along his tail belied the act. Kiba and Tsume, however, seemed to vary in degrees of boredom. While Kiba sat up a bit taller at Cheza's side, looking around the scrutinizing the darkness, Tsume laid propped up on his side, the epitome of boredom as his lazy eyes bore into the mischievous black she-wolf.

"Oh, Come' on," Tsume rolled his eyes at the three younger pack members that sat across from him, "She's just trying to scare ya into shutting the hell up already. There's nothing like that going on around here." he snorted, "If something really had evolved and gotten them, I doubt it would waste time going after us once it got a taste for wolf flesh." He leered at Heart disgusted, "And the thought of an end at Cannibalism is appalling."

"Funny that the one trying to reassure them is the one usually putting one of them down." Heart snapped fluently as if she had just complimented him, "Why should they listen to your smartass remarks? You don't know any better about what's going on than I do!"

"Heart…. Please," Cheza looked back to the black wolf with pleading ruby eyes.

Heart's red eyes darted shamefully towards the flower that seemed to be having troubles breathing a little. She instantly felt guilty, knowing that the rise in emotion Heart had created must have affected the empathetic Maiden, "Sorry, Cheza. I'll lay off for now." She apologized. Her black ears lay against her skull as she lowered her head for a moment, then perked up slightly.

"How are you feeling?" she ventured.

"This one was able to heal the wound, but it will take some time for this one to purify the poison." Cheza replied.

"What could have poisoned her?" Hige asked alarmed, "She just got shot by the Hunter's bullets right?"

"That Hunter has silver bullets." Kiba winced when he remembered getting shot by that very hunter long ago in Freeze City. Silver could easily kill normal wolves if the bullet was left in the flesh, but silver poisoning could easily be flushed out so long as they were able to rest for a good day or more after getting the bullet out. It wasn't always a happy ending- some still died from the poison, but Kiba was able to survive the poison since the bullet had passed through his body and he had rested at the Keep where Hige had found him.

"Silver?" Akira echoed, "Jasper was shot trying to protect us," she realized with growing worry.

The others fell silent as Akira's bright features turned mortified, "Is Jasper… is he going to die?" she turned to Heart who looked to Kiba. Akira looked to the side at their strong silent leader. The golden-eyed wolf held her gaze with his own deep one. Both of them got caught up just staring at one another until Kiba cleared his throat and looked away, drawing the curiosity of the rest of the pack.

"There is no time to think about something so trivial." Kiba said solemnly, stealing the breath away from Akira.

'_T-Trivial!'_ she inwardly hissed. Her family was NOT trivial!

Irritated, Akira's tail frizzed up a little, as did the scruff on the back of her neck. Toboe and Hige could feel the tense rage slightly emanating from her very being and wisely shifted away. Kiba was oblivious to it, but Cheza bit her lip worriedly.

"Akira?" Cheza whispered apprehensive.

Akira caught herself and took a deep breath, holding it in for ten counts and then heaved out a heavy breath as she bit back her ire at Kiba's careless remark about her brother. She promptly ignored him, for the rest of their little rest-time. Tsume finally had enough of Kiba and Akira's tension that seemed more one-sided on Akira's part since Kiba still seemed oblivious. The grey wolf stood up on all fours and shook his fur to get the dirt and dead leaves off his fur.

"Let's get a move on." He said as he walked through the circle, grabbing everyone's attention. Toboe and Heart stood up to follow, Akira also jumped up eager to get away from Kiba haughtily, but Hige hesitated a moment.

"Yeah? And just what direction should we go in, huh Lord of the Flies?" he snorted doubtfully.

"Any movement forward is better than sitting on our asses." Tsume shot back.

Hige shrugged and got up to follow, Kiba and Cheza quickly caught up and resumed the head of the pack position, not that Tsume really cared.

After a while Akira started to let her eyes wander around their surroundings curiously and tested the air for any kind of scent, "Is it normal for it to be so dark and ….." she shivered when the feeling of unease crept up her spine, "Silent?" she shuddered and crowded closer to Toboe's side since the young wolf had attached himself there once again.

"No," Kiba answered, irking Akira that he spoke again.

UUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUU

"They're headed for the forest of Death," Darcia commented ominously as his bi-colored eyes followed the pulsing figures on the holographic screen before him. His free hand was soaked in blood, even through his glove, as he held onto his wounded shoulder, "It would appear that my pet is having to lag a bit further behind than anticipated," his hand gripped into his wounded shoulder, ignoring the instant searing pain that surged from his wound and down his very spine. Poison. He could even feel where the bullet was lodged deep with in Jasper's shoulder, the silver of the bullet literally tearing at the wolf's flesh and as such, tore at Darcia's insides with an unseen force…

However, if his little brother wolf thought that mere silver poisoning would kill their bond through death of one or both of them… he was sadly mistaken. Darcia's cursed golden wolf's eye- now a green-gold due to Jasper's blood influence- glowered as it pulsated with taboo-like power. He felt it seep into his body, mirroring what it was doing to Jasper as well. The power simply vanished the bullet and sealed Jaspers and Darcia's wound with in moments. Darcia grinned deviously when he felt the wolf's frustration.

/_Damn you __**Darcia!**_/ a low growl reverberated through the thin string of a bond between them that was nearly unbreakable for such a feeble string.

/_Now, Now Jasper, be more careful with our bonded bodies, will you?/_ Darcia's green turned down right lethal as he sent his message through the small bond /_Someone might get the impression you want us dead./_

/MONSTER!/Jasper spat back in the bond, closing it off with sheer will power that Darcia had to admire. No worries though, all the noble had to do was wait a few minutes when the wolf's mental strength weakened and he'd be back in control of the bond again. Fun fact- wolves had mental strength to keep even the strongest magic out of their minds and souls… but once you had an anchor inside them like Darcia's Blood Bond with Jasper… they were as easy to penetrate an manipulate as infants.

"You," Darcia turned slightly, not surprised at all to see that the blond woman he'd taken from the Cemetery had woken up and let her curiosity get the best of her. She had wondered all around his keep just to find him here. From the look in her eye, most of his technology was far more advanced than her Lord Orchem's was. He knew her opinion on such things was a heavily weighed one, given that she had been Orchems personal choice to look after the Flower he'd stolen from Darcia's family. Only a truly talented scientist would be given such an honor, "You have an agent following the wolves?" Cher was, in loose terms, under house arrest in Darcia's home since he felt she knew too much and was getting too close to the truth about the Flower and the red wolf. He wanted to keep an eye on the brilliant woman incase she decided to use her brilliance for something she shouldn't.

"That would be an incorrect term for him, since he does not follow orders by his own will." Darcia eluded with a quirk of his brow thinking he had to use a great deal of his power just to subdue the son of a bitch… literally, "That wolf you saw in the Grave Yard, Ms. Scientist," he refused to say her name, doing so endeared yourself to those who might think you thought them equal because of the mention of such a label given at birth, "He is the one that tracks them down. I have him tracking his own kind. After all, who could track an elusive, thieving, wolf pack better than one of their own?" he quirked a shadowed smile over his shoulder towards her, knowing it alarmed her and enjoyed her sudden tense shift of her aura. Good… she was getting the hint that her life could be at stake here.

Cher's eyes hardened on him as she fought herself to stay in place and hold her ground, "So this wolf, you say…. he is your slave…?" for some reason that angered her. She didn't even know much about wolves, let alone this one that Darcia said rarely followed his will. Maybe it was because she found out Akira was a wolf and now the ancient, presumed extinct, species was now endeared to her.

Darcia didn't say anything as his softly sinister features melted back to their stoic mask while he regarded the woman with his blue eye aloof as ever, "Jasper is part of my inescapable sacrifice for the sake of taking Paradise. The power with in his Lupine blood now courses through my veins as well. In the dark taboo magic's of Moon Alchemy, it's known as a Blood Bond between a human whom wishes to return to the long lost form humans have forgotten." He paused, seeing the scientific side of this woman was rejecting the very thought that humans had ever had any other form other than humanoid- even through evolution. He grinned at her pitiful restricted human mind and continued with his history lesson, "Every human with a soul was created came from dust of the earth made by the hand of God, but the dust was forged into the flesh of an animal the Savior had already created. We can all be traced back to primitive beasts- most commonly the ape, but some are different. In my circumstance, my bloodline is traced back to that of a wolf, and so I required HIM. My curse I was shackled with would have consume my body eventually and banish my soul to a place even Satan couldn't reach, but having wolf blood inside me will secure a new, brighter fate bestowed unto me."

"And what will it bestow?" Cher took a step back when he turned to her. Something deep inside of her warned her to flee this man, but with his blue eye on her and his other, Wolf eye, hidden behind a patch, she felt suffocated of any free will to flee him. Like a caught rabbit in the face of a wolfs fangs, her legs froze up and her body refused to obey under his powerful gaze. She had the distinct impression she'd just asked the wrong question…

"The power to regain the form our ancestors have denied. The form of a wolf to cross the path to paradise and reform it as my own that fell into chaos and stolen the soul of my beloved because of some _TABOO_." He gritted out with nearly seething with anger as he gripped his fists tight enough to draw blood, "I intend to open and wield paradise as its master." He smirked, "It is my destiny since it is I, the human cursed with the wolfs eye. I will tear human kind from under the wolfs power and set our own world into motion. In this new paradise, I will be only second to God, and even then, who knows… I might BE God." By the sudden enlightened look on his face, Cher could tell he liked the idea of BEING God better…

"Paradise…. The wolves are supposed to open paradise?" Cher breathed in shock, "But how? It's all fiction- a fairytale!" she protested, shaking her head.

Darcia turned to face her slightly, a slow, deadly grin slithering up his face in a way only serial killers could pull off so easily and make it look natural, "Guess what, Ms. Scientist… you're in that unbelievable fairytale." His grin sharpened, revealing human teeth that were slightly sharper than they should be, "Or did you actually think that the Nobles would cause ultimate destruction for nothing?" he could tell she still wasn't accepting what he was telling her. Her hard blue eyes looked up at him with fear, but they held a defiance that most scientists held when they heard something they knew was a lie. Darcia's sinister grin fell, smoothing back into his blank, stoic mask again that seemed to frighten her more since he gave nothing away when he put on this particular mask of emotion, "It's Cheza. It was all for Cheza- my family's ultimate gift to the world. She is the key that drives the wolves to their precious paradise. She will open the gates, but the proverbial scale is weighed by a different tail." He said cryptically, "You read the book of the moon, didn't you? Do you believe what it said about the red moons choice?"

Cher steeled herself, "I believe." She squared her shoulders.

He took no account of her show of standing her ground, in fact, Darcia wasn't the least bit intimidated by her at all, "Do you know the three moons true forms? The full moon, the new moon, and the red moon itself?" he quirked a brow.

"What are they? The book only said something about when the world ends, the silver moon will bleed red as the fate of the world and paradise are decided on its final breath. With the red moons decision to turn new or full, that is what shall happen to the world. So says the book of the moon." Cher paraphrased.

"You've certainly done your homework," Darcia studied her while she rehearsed the verse in the book his grate grandfather wrote and had his answer. He smiled to himself as he let his head tip confidently, "But still, my answer is clear now. You do not know." He took another step toward her and Cher tripped backward to get away, loosing the ground she had gained when she had a bout of courage and now stumbled back in a chair. She gasped and struggled in surprise when the chairs arms extracted metal restraints on her arms. Similar restraints clasped over her ankles and a helmet like bar held her head put.

"Darcia!" she snapped struggling to get free, but even though the straps barely touched her, she was being held down tightly to the chair. It bewildered her- what was holding her if it wasn't the obvious metallic restraints?

"Think of this as a way of keeping out of trouble for the duration of your stay here. It will not be long before I return, and release you from your temporary confinement." Darcia said as he left. At the door he didn't even pause as he walked outside, saying as an after thought, "Enjoy your stay in the Darcia Estate, Ms. Scientist."

Jasper was in a foul mood.

No, that was putting it nicely; Jasper was ready to rip open the bowels of the next thing looking similar to BAMBI he was so pissed! The young lupine stomped his way around town, double-checking to make sure the soldiers weren't going to go after his sisters' escape into the Forest of Death. 

"I honestly would like to see those bastards TRY to lay a hand on her…." He growled under his breath as best as his human vocal chords would let him at the moment, gripping his hands into tight fists, "I _dare _them," he was itching for a fight! He had hoped that the silver poison would have at least killed himself and injure Darcia permanently, but Darcia and his voodoo magic had other ideas. Jasper had been ready to die, up until he saw his baby sister's face again… now he felt guilty for even THINKING of dying and leaving her alone here!

"Where's something _Darcia_ wants me to kill when I need it?" the dirty blond mumbled as he kicked a stone out of his path, wincing when it shot through a brick wall as if it were a bullet going through paper, "Shit!" he quickly started picking up speed to get away discretely, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

He was just about to turn a corner when he realized someone was already there, "Oh geeze-!" he yelped, dancing out of the way to avoid running smack into the woman he was about to collide with. She seemed to lose her balance and started falling backwards, but Jasper's quick reflexes caught her in his arms in a way that seemed almost like a romantic dance with how it looked like he was dipping her.

"Hey-lo there," He greeted with a smile, doing a 180 mood-wise. Jasper was always a sucker for a pretty lady, "Didn't scare you did I?" he paused for a moment when his dual-colored eyes locked onto frosty blue eyes and lively midnight hair, "Wait you…you're a-,"

"I think I KNOW what I am, Jerk." The woman growled, shoving him away from her and readjusting her black trench coat that hugged her curves. Her red scarf around her neck had been tugged loose from where she had it tucked into her coat so she quickly stuffed it back in and glared at the man before her, "Who are you? Why do you smell like the others?" she demanded, "Tell me where they went."

Jasper cocked a brow, "Bossy little thing aren't you?" he snorted, crossing his arms and leaning on the brick wall beside them, not impressed with her attitude at all, "Do you run with them?"

"Run with who?" she seemed confused, taking a step backward in uncertainty.

"Don't go getting nervous, little lady, you're the one who started accusing here. I won't bite…hard." Jasper grinned disarmingly, but when she didn't loosen up her standoffish posture, Jasper's face fell. Someone had a poll up something they shouldn't, "Alright look, I'll show you mine if you show me yours," he offered.

He was surprised when she slugged him in the jaw! Jasper fell to the ground, shaking his head and rubbing his sore jaw. It didn't hurt that bad but he could definitely tell there was wolf in this chick, her right hook was something to beware of from now on, "What the-!"

"How DARE you!" she barked, Jasper looked up at her face from where he sat on the ground. Her blue eyes were beautifully bright with anger, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment and her chest heaved furiously. Jasper wandered if she realized that by standing so close to him in her miniskirt was more of a reward for him than what she obviously wanted to be a punishment, "TO EVEN INSINUATE THAT I'D-THAT I'D…" her blush traveled down her tan neck and into her red scarf intriguingly as she choked on the words to lash at him with, "YOU FUCKING RETARD!" she pulled back her thigh-high boot covered leg and prepared to kick him into next week, but Jasper was rarely one to let someone toss him around for long.

In an instant, he was on his feet, her offending leg grasped lightly in his hand as he blocked her from kicking him, her foot nearly level with his face, and that in itself surprised him. She was a limber wild cat…. Her blue eyes widened comically when she realized that he held her leg, blocking her attack.

"WHY YOU-!" she tried to pull her leg back, but Jaspers gentle hold was steel in strength, "URRRGH!" she growled.

"Quiet!" Jasper hissed, using his free hand to cover her mouth. She started to struggle more, so Jasper was _forced_ to push her against the wall and pin her there. Still she struggled, unwilling to give up and for that Jasper admired her fire, but it was annoying him now. She seemed to know something about the wolves with Akira…

"Listen," he startled her with how close his face was to hers. He knew the affect he had on females and harbored no guilt for utilizing his god-given ability when he needed to, "Earlier, before your screeching, you said something about a '_they'_." He hinted.

"The wolves." She glared at him as if he were stupid not to know that.

"What wolves?" he countered, still not letting up even though her struggles were all but gone now.

"The wolves with the Flower girl!" she growled back, "Let me go you pervert and stop feeling me up! You wanted me to flash you!"

"Flash me?" Jasper blinked stupidly for a moment, then it clicked, "Ooooh you mean when I said I'd show you mine if you show me yours?" he had to restrain himself from laughing in her face, "You can't be serious can you? Ah-ahhhah!" he chuckled, his hold only slightly letting up as his body shook with laughter, but it wasn't enough for her to escape, much to her displeasure, "When I said that- I meant I would tell you my reasons for looking for them if you told me yours!"

She paused, "You're… looking for them too?" a spark of distrust rooted deep with in her eyes as she pulled as far away from him as he could, "Why?"

"Why?" he echoed thoughtfully, "Because I have a connection with them and that flower. What are you're reasons, huh, huntress? I know you're that dog that followed around that drunken old man all the time." He spat back, "His stench is all over you."

"BASTARD!" she tried to knee him in the groin, but he backed off just in time, releasing her. They stood there in a stand off; one glaring murder, the other grinning madly.

Jasper held up his hands, "Well if you want the wolves, they've flown the coop and hit the forest." He shrugged.

"WHAT!" the female turned towards the forest, intent on chasing after them.

"Where are you going missy?" Jasper quickly blocked her path.

"After the flower!" she replied.

"Why?"

"Because!" the woman seemed desperate as an emotion far from anger leaked out into her eyes, catching Jasper off guard, "Because…" she tried again, looking away from him, trying to hide her pent up raw emotions, "I have… no where else to go." She looked back up to him, moisture in her blue eyes that caught him off guard.

Jasper heaved a sigh. Damn his weakness for women, "Fine then, but you'll get no where going that way." Jasper turned and started walking, looking over his shoulder back at the startled female, "Well? You coming?"

"What's your name?" she asked hesitantly as she followed behind him at a distance.

"Jasper. You?" he answered shortly as he shifted to his wolf form to make better time, "hurry up, we have a lot of ground to-," he was taken by surprise when a blur of black darted in front of him and grinning cheeky blue eyes glanced back.

"It's Blue."

80640920980980987098123 WORD 

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Akira's stomach grumbled at her for something to eat. She rubbed it to try and soothe the ache, but heard another rumble, 'that wasn't me…' she thought as she heard it again. She looked to her left to Hige where he held his hands clasped behind his head while they walked. 'That one was HIM'

Hige noticed her curious stare and smirked back while he wiggled his eye brows suggestively, "See something of interest?"

Akira gave him a flustered look and pointedly snapped her head and gaze away from him with a huff, "Hardly," she muttered. Another growl came from another stomach, "I can't even tell if it's my stomach growling anymore since I hear everyone else's." she sighed.

"Well, I guess we should have guessed this was going to happen, I mean it's been about a few days." Heart groaned as her own stomach kicked at her ribs for food.

"Do you know how weak you sound with your pitiful growling?" Tsume scoffed, but faltered his point when his own stomach growled soon as the words left his mouth. His sour expression deepened when the others gave him a dry look.

"I feel like my stomach's trying to eat it's self." Toboe whimpered.

Kiba reached the top of the slope they had been climbing and turned halfway to look back at his companions. Tsume was at his back, the eldest wolf fit for this kind of travel but was looking worse for wear. None of the others faired any better behind the gray wolf. Heart walked with her head down in wolf form to ease the ache in her human feet. Hige was at her flank in the same fashion, panting with his tongue lolled out to the side. Kiba's eyes darted back to his flower, Cheza, noticing she was leaning heavily against Akira's human form while Toboe's wolf form staggered close by the twosome. The white wolf felt a bit of guilt stab his gut for how hard he was pushing Cheza, but every time he looked at her, the eerie green veins under her pale skin would scare him as they became more and more noticeable, so he had pushed the pack harder and harder to get out of the forest and to a safer area for the flower.

"Let's take a rest then." He finally relented.

"Finally!" Hige plopped down on the dry forest floor, "Now about something to eat…."

"We've been trudging up this mountain for a day and there's nothing alive in it. What are we goanna eat?" Heart whined.

"You never know until you actually go looking for it." Hige snorted.

"I _did _go looking for it last time we rested 5 hours ago." Heart growled irritated. Hige growled back.

"Stop it! Are you going to let your hunger get to you like this? We'll be fine just as soon as we get to the next town or over this mountain!" Kiba reassured firmly glaring at the forest around them.

Akira still felt a sting from his earlier comment, but her temper wasn't strong enough to hold her grudge for long, just a simmering sting. She mildly tossed him a tired hard glare but stilled when her eyes crossed Cheza's being at her side. Like Kiba before her, Akira noticed the strange color of her veins were pulsing closer to the surface, "Cheza?" she whispered worriedly as she crouched down to the maiden, slinging her arm across her shoulders to embrace Cheza.

Cheza jumped, startled for some reason and quickly put a hand on Akira's located on the flower's own shoulder, "This one is …. Fine. This one is just a bit winded," she tried to reassure.

"GAAAH!" Toboe screamed when he misplaced his foot and stepped on a large beetle like thing. The insect fluttered its wings angrily and shot up in the air, narrowly missing running into Heart's head. The she wolf ducked and scowled at the offensive bug.

"Does _that _answer your question about this forest being completely _**dead**_?" she snapped.

The beetle did a U-turn in the air and took another dive at the group.

"IN COMING!" Hige called out.

"STUPID BUG! NOT AGAIN!" Toboe yelped loudly and shielded his face for impact as the bug aimed for him, but at the last second the bug was swiped into a strong, crushing grip of Tsume's hand. The gray wolf cocked an eyebrow as he looked the bug over while the large insect tried to escape his grasp, but to no avail, "Oh," Toboe sighed, "Thank you Tsume!"

"Tch, I've never seen this kind of bug." Tsume held the insect away from him like it was possessed.

"Let me see," Heart approached and took a closer look with out touching it. She curled her upper lip in disgust, "I've never seen anything like it either, but it smells just like the rest of this wooden graveyard does. Dirt and dry deathy stuff."

"Deathy?" Tsume quoted dryly.

Heart was not in the mood. She waved him off, "Never mind, is that thing edible or not?"

"How should I know?" Tsume grumbled. He glanced over to Kiba to see his reaction with a cocked brow while the others followed his line of sight to their 'leader'.

"You think I would?" Kiba blandly shot back at the exasperated glare Tsume was giving him. He leaned against one of the many dead tree trunks, crossing his arms and shifting more comfortably against the rough bark at his back.

The grey haired youth darted a sly glance towards Hige, "Well then, that means there's only one way to find out." Tsume stuck the bug under Hige's unsuspecting nose, causing the heavier built wolf to jerk away in surprise and then stumble backwards in his startle.

"WHY YOU SHOVING THAT THING AT ME FOR?" Hige hissed, still back pedaling away from the appalling, squirming creature held firmly with in Tsume's grasp.

"You said you were hungry, right?" Tsume smirked.

"Yeah, so?" Hige snorted, looking back and forth rapidly between his pack-mate and the insect.

"And you also have the toughest stomach out of all of us." Toboe started to catch on to where Tsume was going.

"I DON'T eat bugs." Hige refused quickly, backing away even more now that he also started to catch on.

"Come on Hige, just tell us if it's bearable or not." Akira pleaded while her stomach growled its own plea as well.

"Look, I'M NOT YOUR PERSONAL TASTER, ALRIGHT?" Hige haughtily defended his honor, surging upright and dusting off his jacket, "I do-NOT eat _bugs_!"

"Do it anyways." Tsume said dispassionately offering the bug once more.

"Hey! Who DIED and made you leader?" Hige growled back with vengeance. He turned toward Kiba with a prodding grimace, "Hey, a little help here?"

"I am not the leader." Kiba said point blank with a shrug to his shoulders.

"So…. That means Tsume is the leader?" Toboe tilt his head curiously.

"As if…." Tsume snorted with a roll of his eyes, tossing the poor distressed oversized insect back and forth in his hands nonchalantly, "If _I _were leader, there'd be a BIG difference in how things were run, pup."

"No, Toboe." Kiba shook his head, "There is no pronounced leader of this pack. That's just not how we're run."

"Why the hell not!" Hige guffawed, alarmed that his back up plan was backing out.

"We came together for the common purpose of finding paradise. If anything, we follow Cheza." Kiba explained simply.

"Right…." Heart nodded her understanding as she trailed her eyes back to the slightly distressed maiden, "If anything she's more of our deity, not our leader at all in wolf terms."

Hige huffed in disappointment, but he reluctantly admitted he to himself that he understood the reasoning behind the pack not having just ONE leader. He then perked up again once he came across another bright idea, looking between Cheza- their 'deity'- and the squirming insect Tsume tossed like a tennis ball between his hands, "I know!" he snatched the bug away from Tsume and danced giddily up to Cheza, "Cheza must be starved! That's why she's so stressed and tired all the sudden!" he held it up to her eagerly as if he were offering her tribute, "Here ya go! Eat up, Cheza!"

Cheza backed into Akira's arms, fearful of the insect as it squirmed in Hige's hands. Her red eyes trained on it as if she could actually see it and her lip worried in a thin line of fear. Kiba quickly reacted to her fear and slashed through the bug to get it away from her, "CHEZA does NOT eat bugs." He growled dangerously at Hige while he jerked his hand to fling the bug juice off of it.

The stunned boy gulped, seeing the power from his friends blow nearly cutting him as well as the bug, "I was just trying to help SOMEONE get something to eat here. And if she doesn't eat meat and doesn't eat bugs, then….. What does she eat?" Hige protested, truthfully having the right mindset.

"Does it LOOK like she wants to eat it, dimwit?" Kiba growled again at Hige who backed off quickly, "What do you think EAT plants sometimes- Bugs."

"Hey man, cool it! I didn't know ok!" Hige defended while he held up his hands to show he meant no harm.

"Kiba, quite it," Akira felt her irritation with the male rise again at the display of dominance he shoved on Hige, making the stocky wolf back down from his temper like this, "Hige didn't know alright? Look- the bug is squashed and dead now, so NO ONE gets to attempt to eat it." She reasoned.

Kiba gave a final glare at Hige before backing off, taking his place at Cheza's other side from Akira and letting the flower curl up to his side. It slightly pained Akira to see him allow such contact even if it was with Cheza and the fact that Cheza willingly left her side to go to him. She quickly turned away to focus on the rest of the pack.

"Come to think of it…" Heart thought aloud as they all settled into a loose circle, "I've never seen Cheza eat before."

"I wouldn't know if she ate solid foods. She was always in a tank when I was with her so she was just provided with food liquidly." Akira admitted, squatting down to rest her legs.

"Something like that, I suppose." Tsume agreed also taking a seat on the forest floor.

"This one does not require such food. This one will be fine with water and…," Cheza started, but paused when she looked up and frowned, "oh, but there is none here."

"OF COURSE!" Hige caught on, "Sunlight! All plants absorb food from sunlight! I'll bet moonlight is even BETTER for her since she's a LUNAR flower too!"

"It really does make sense, since she is a flower and all." Toboe agreed as an after thought.

"So all we need to do is get out of this forest or find some water…." Akira looked around to see darkness and thick trees above them.

"Easier said then done. We've been at it for so many hours I'm loosing track of day and night, and still we have yet to breach the mountain top." Tsume said, standing up to start on their way again, "Resting all day isn't getting us any where. Lets head out."

0000000OOOOOOOOOMG - if you 're reading this then RAWR LOL!- 00000MG!000000000

"Jasper just quit it already." Blue sighed as the black part-wolf trotted easily behind the much larger silver male. Her blue eyes were heavy with fatigue and she could barely hold up her tail. They had been searching for hours for something Jasper still had yet to specify!

"What are we looking for out here anyways? I thought you said we were tracking the wolves with Cheza? Didn't we already catch sight of them a while back with that insect thing? Why are we AHEAD of them?" she tilt her head, not understanding his methods of 'getting back to the pack'.

Jasper sniffed around vigorously, his snout to the forest floor and his fluffy silvery gray tail high in the air stiffly. His tongue lolled out the side of his slightly parted mouth while he panted in exertion of his eagerness to find what he sought, "It has to be here somewhere. That insect doesn't just live alone here and all life must survive with it! Why else are there so many trees!"

His breath caught when he his nose ran smack into Blue's paw as she inserted herself firmly in his path, "Blue, what's up?" he looked up at her cockeyed almost.

"What's up? What's UP?" she snarled in frustration and gritted her teeth tightly in her jaw while her nose scrunched up, "WHERE THE HELL ARE WE GOING?"

"To find water." Jasper shrugged giving her an incredulous look, "Sheesh, is it THAT time of the month already?" he by passed her easily, leaving the female sputtering and absolutely vivid with anger in her blue eyes.

"Why you…. You PIG HEADED ASS HOLE!" she growled, her fur bristling up.

"Calm down, calm down," Jasper chuckled, looking over his shoulder towards her and winked his green wolf-eye at her flirtatiously, "No need to get your fur all twisted up in weird are- WHOA!" the silver wolf ducked to avoid a flash of brown feathers and claws that dove low in the air over his head, startling both wolves as it flapped its great silent wings up to a nearby branch with its back to them. The wolves felt a chill run up their spins when the head of the bird turned to look at them over its back. It was an owl!

"What the fuck is THAT thing doing here!" Jasper gritted his teeth, annoyed that it had caught him off guard.

"What would it EAT here?" Blue wondered, approaching her companion's side cautiously to get a better look at the intruding bird that stared at them at different odd angles it could tilt its head at them.

"Whoo, Whooo great young one who shines like moon, moon, mooooon," the owl ruffled his dark brown feathers and what little light was in the forest flashed in the dark, bottomless black gaze of the bird's irises, "You wander here, you wander there yet still you do not fare. What is it that deems you to seek?" it asked with another strange tilt of its head as it leaned down on the branch towards them.

Blue felt chills of unrest fill her and made her fur stand on end in unease, "I don't like this owl…" she whispered to Jasper who kept his eyes trained on the bird.

Jazz stood tall, but his ears were lax at the sides of his skull in an annoyed fashion. He _hated_ owls. They never gave straight answers, but they also weren't afraid of wolves, so it was one of the few creatures wolves could hold conversations with, "This is called the forest of Death, is it not?" he called up to it while his eyes narrowed, "Yet even still there are small hints of life and rumors of a wolf pack controlling this area. If that's so there must be water, yet there's no scent. Tell me- what keeps this undead forest from dying completely, Owl?" he demanded with natural authority that had Blue giving him a double take. Jasper didn't seem to be putting on a front to intimidate the owl…

'_He must be one of those born to lead a pack…_' Blue folded her ears back in thought, '_Is there such thing though? Those born to lead and those born to be in exile like me?'_ her heart felt heavy with the thought.

"Ooooh," the owl shifted about, turning to face them and ruffling up his feathers, then giving his body a firm shake as if to dispel a chill, "Other wolves you say? Other creatures that rule both the dark of night and the light of day? First there was one, but now overrun. Masters of disguise, you shall come to despise." The owl hooted back with yet another shift of viewing angle of its head.

Jasper's upper lip curled back in frustration as he flashed his fangs at the owl in a show of distaste for the answer, "It's your rhymes that in starting to despise, Owl! Give me a straight answer or I'll treat you like the humans treat your cousin poultry! I need to know where I can find water at the very least!"

"Water, water, your trail grows hotter." The owl chirped.

"Daaaaaaaaragh!" the wolf snarled in frustration, stomping a paw into the forest floor and making a deep paw print, "THAT'S NOT WHAT I ASKED YOU DAMNABLE LIVING CHICEKN FRIED STEAK!"

"Please," Blue tried her luck as she stepped up in front of Jasper to address the bird, "Cheza needs this… can you at least show us to the water?" she pleaded.

The Owl tilt its head back and then forth and then flapped his great wings and took off into the forest, once again swooping down close to their heads with a hoot that echoed the darkness.

"Now look what you did!" Jasper growled back at her and then took off after the bird, "Don't you _dare_ leave when I'm not finished talking to you birdie!" the silver wolf barked as he sprinted after the owl, "GET YOUR FEATHERY ASS BACK HERE! I'M WARNING YOU!"

"Jasper! Wait up!" Blue yelped as she struggled to keep up with him.

"To leave, is to be lonely, to seek is to be accompanied, a wolf shall always seek out that of his own kind that he has yet to find, to find, to fiiiiiinnnd" the owl hooted back at them while it soared just ahead of them.

"CRAZY OLD BIRD!" Jazz doubled his efforts to catch up with the fowl to hunt it down this time. At the very least the detestable bird would serve to satisfy their stomachs for a bit…

The pair of wolves cleared the top of the steep slope and weren't prepared an even steeper drop on the other side. One after the other, their paws slipped from under them and the twosome tumbled down a few yards below. Jasper's body settled first, plopping in a grove of strange fluffy lettuce-like flowers. He started to push himself up but was slammed back down when Blue crashed into his back.

"Ow…." He groaned.

"Wh-Where are we?" The black wolf shook her head to get the dizziness to go away.

"It would be easier for me to tell if you weren't on top me…." He muffled into the plants.

Blue scrambled off him and both wolves stood up, getting their bearings once again and then looked around them in surprise. The grove they landed in looked healthy with faded green flowers that looked similar to lettuce but they held no distinct scent to them… however, it seemed that the dead forest they had been treading suddenly bloomed to life around them! Healthy plants sprouted up everywhere and the faint sound of birds chirped here and there. Best of all…. Scents.

"I smell water!" Blue's tail wagged, "And I can even see light through the trees!"

Jasper tilt his head and looked down at the plants. He walked back towards the drop off they had tumbled down and sniffed the area the plants stopped growing and frowned, "It's the plants… they're scentless! That's why this is called a dead forest, because the part that is healthy is covered up by these plants! They must require more water than the other plants so the rest of the forest is suffering because of it." He guessed.

"Plants doing that sort of thing?" Blue tilt her head confused and then bent it lower to test out his theory, walking towards him. Her eyes widened in realization, "Oh god! You're right!"

"See-," Jasper cut himself off when his nose stung with a new scent that made his hackles rise, "Blue, I want you to follow the faint scent of humans towards the north with out me."

"What? Why?" Blue jerked in surprise, "What about you? What about Cheza?"

"I'm sure the others will get there eventually but right now you need to get out of here-FAST!" he hissed, herding her towards the northern side of the grove.

"Jasper, what's going on?" Blue demanded with a slight snarl of annoyance that the larger male could push her around so easily.

"If you stay here, let's just say there's no way you'll be seeing Cheza again." He wasn't looking at her, but towards the river.

"Oh really? Then why do YOU get to stay, huh?" she challenged.

Jasper leveled her with a hard glare, "Because, I'M not about to go in Heat."

"So…. Which way, Hige?" Akira and the others looked back and forth between the forked path way and then to Hige. Hige stuck out his nose and sniffed delicately.

"I'd say to the right."

"Do you smell something?" Kiba asked, shifting Cheza on his back. The flower had collapsed a few hours back and she could no longer walk on her own.

"No, but it's a hell a lot better than just sitting around doing nothing right here." Hige sighed back.

Akira slumped her shoulders, "This is depressing."

"Tell me about it." Toboe mirrored her action.

"Stop moping around, you two. It won't change anything." Heart reprimanded the smallest of the pack. She then turned to look at the two paths before them, "Well, Hige has a point. If we don't find water to the right, then we'll just go from there."

"We don't have that kind of time!" Kiba bit back.

"Look, Kiba, this is the only thing we CAN DO for Cheza right now, it doesn't really matter if we have time for mistakes or not, because sitting here isn't doing nothing!" Heart fired right back with a stomp of her paw.

"Cheza may very well be dying on us because we can't find some fucking water hole for her! We have to find it as fast as possible!" Kiba once again struck out, "There is NO room for assumptions or mistakes!"

"Kiba! Stop taking it out on Heart!" Akira defended, timidly putting herself between the black and white snarling wolves, "She's just trying to help!" Blue eyes bore into her stubbornly with sharp ice that shook Akira to the core, but she held her ground and kept her own eyes hard in determination for him to calm down and back off. Kiba just glared at her, snorted and turned away sharply and then continued to carry Cheza on his back while he strode to the right. Akira stared after him confused, "What's gotten into him?" she whispered with a grim tug to the corner of her mouth.

"The scent of the flower's probably getting him high and mad again." Tsume grumbled, "He gets irritable anytime HER life is in danger or threatened."

"He does seem a little…. Exhausted, and he's still carrying Cheza." Akira sympathized, "Maybe if we have someone else carry Cheza a while, he won't have to strain so much! It's just STRESS!" Akira hurried to catch up with Kiba to help him, leaving the other wolves to watch her scurry off with dread in their hearts.

"She is far too naïve…" Heart sighed with a roll of her eyes.

"I'll say." Tsume agreed, then started forward at a slower pace than Kiba had set, stubbornly defying the other wolf in his own little ways. The rest of the foursome followed his example, keeping a wary eye on Kiba and Akira ahead of them.

"Hey, Kiba?" Akira fell in step to his left flank, but the brunette boy didn't so much as turn to acknowledge her presence. That alone made her spirited approach fall a bit and resolve waver just a hair. Her heart took another blow when he seemed to snap back at her with annoyance.

"What." he still didn't sound like mister sunshine…

"Um… You seem...uh ..tired. Do you want me or one of the others to carry Cheza for a while? Or maybe-,"

"Do you _think _you can carry her?" cut her off sharply, making her jump to a halt in alarm.

"I… I-I-I… W-Wha-what?" Akira was still startled and started to stutter.

"Do you _**think **_you can _carry her_?" he repeated himself, turning around sharply to level her with a mad ice blue gaze that made him look vivid and angry like a lion that had just been denied his kill.

"H-H-H-Hey, hey! E-E-E-Easy th-there!" Akira held up her hands in defense, backing up a bit in alarm and rein in her stutter to be manageable again with a worrisome gulp, "Ah-All I was tra-trying to do was to-,"

"Well, then DON'T offer unless you know for sure that you can do what you're offering, Akira! I don't need help from a whiney, city-slicker little girl who can't even take a piss in the woods on her own with out a Human's help!" He snapped with a booming voice that echoed the forest around them, making his words hit home in her heart over and over. He tasked and then with a frustrated grunt, shifted the nearly comatose Cheza on his back and continued stomping off down an unmarked path they followed. Akira was left wounded, shocked and mouth agape in his furious wake. She couldn't believe he just did that!

"Bu…But I…." Akira's eyes slowly fell to the ground at her feet completely ashamed, "I Just wanted to…" It was true, she wasn't the most survival savvy of the group but that didn't mean she didn't want to try helping out….

"Akira?" Toboe approached her slowly with the others.

"HEY! How could you snap at her like that?" Heart snarled with her temper firing up in full throttle. Barged up haughtily a few steps in front of Akira barking at Kiba's back.

"Yeah! It wasn't her fault Cheza can't eat! She was just trying to help, you ungrateful bastard!" Hige snapped.

"No, no, guys… it's….." Akira started to sob but stilled when her clogged nose caught the familiar spice that was ingrained to her very being. She jerked her head up, letting any tears she was about to shed fall off her cheeks in flurry of hot liquid sprinkles. Her orange eyes wide with recognition and her ears erect while her tail stood up.

With out bothering to say anything, the red wolf sprinted down the path, right pass Cheza and Kiba and down another path way through the thick trees. Cheza's ruby eyes snapped up startled when she felt the red wolf leaving.

"Akira?" she called out.

The others were so stunned that a heavy silence followed her sudden hasty departure until Heart had had more than enough of this bull crap, "For the love of the Moon!" She stomped up to the immobile Kiba and smacked him upside the head, careful to avoid Cheza with her powerful POP to the head, "Look what you did! Just LOOK what you did!" she snarled, getting in his face, nearly nose to nose and livid with anger while she stabbed him in the chest with her sharp finger, "You ran her off AGAIN! You and your stubborn attitude ran off little Akira and now we gotta follow her! Wasn't it YOU that said we don't need any complications to distract us from your PRECISOUS Cheza's water?" she hissed.

The female turned her back on the frozen boy mumbling slight apology to Cheza under her breath, "Forget this!" Heart shifted to her wolf form, kicked dirt in Kiba's face a bit and then darted after her friend, howling after her to try and get the other she-wolf to slow down.

"Wha…what just happened…?" Hige blinked.

"Akira ran. Again." Toboe sighed, shifting to his wolf form after Tsume's lead. Hige also shifted as an after thought after seeing the other two shift.

"Well, no sense in gawking after two disappeared females." The older male snorted as he started to trot at an easy pace after them, in no hurry to catch up since he could easily smell and hear them, "As nice as it would be to get rid of their hassling asses, we'd better follow'em before they get hurt or into too much trouble."

"Kiba… th-the others ha-have gone." Cheza panted on his back.

Kiba slowly started to walk forward, haunted by the scent of salty tears coming from Akira and her hurt face in his minds' eye. An overwhelming sting of guilt hit him fast and hard, nearly paralyzing him, but also a sense of hurt.

'_She… she left me…. AGAIN!' _he thought.

====OOO====PPP===444===666===000===999===111===555===

!

Blood. Dried blood. It's the scent that all creatures, human or animal, knew from birth, especially that of a sibling. Jasper's forest musk scent beckoned Akira with its faint traces in the woods. It came to her in waves as if something were opening and closing a lid to his scent. It had smelt close by, but Akira was no tracker and as she was pushing herself faster and faster, digging her paws into the earth beneath her claws to vault herself to new speeds, she started to wonder if he really was MILES away! She had thought it would have grown stronger as she came closer to him, but the scent stayed the same when she could smell it and her heart pounded with anxiety when it left her for a few brief moments before her nostrils flared with the faint scent once more.

"Jasper!" she called.

Akira pushed herself faster and faster as she followed the faint scent of her brother through the forest. Her orange eyes darted left and right in her desperation, hoping to catch some kind of sign of him, but she gritted her teeth. She was no tracker. A broken branch is a broken branch and she knew none of the special tricks most of her kind learned in pup years to track down and hunt their prey. The only thing good to her were the obvious signs to her senses. If she could hear, see or smell it, it was there. Otherwise, she was untrained. She damned her own inadequacies once more, hating this never-ending feel of helplessness.

"JAAAAASSSPPPPEEEERRRR!" she howled at the top of her lungs in her desperation in her mad dash through the forest. Her front paw caught a root and sent her tumbling tail over ears, flopping over herself at least three times before her body skidded to a halt in the dusty earth before a low branched hung over tree that looked like it had seen better days.

Though she was bruised and sore from her sudden stop via nature, Akira's adrenaline surged in her to take action and she started to heave herself back to her feet, but her back legs gave out and she fell down to the forest floor once again. Her body just not cut out for this kind of abuse she harbored on it.

'_I really am no better than a house pet…'_ she thought as tears glistened her furry cheeks, while she once again tried to stand.

"Another soul, lost in this proverbial bowl. Another sorrow to add, what will become of it tomorrow if all stays this sad?" a voice hooted from above her.

Akira shook the weariness out of her eyes and lifted her upper body to at least get a better view. She was panting too hard so she gave up and just rolled on her back, looking up upside-down at the owl roosted in the low branch only a few feet above her. If she were human she could pet it easily if she wanted.

Akira pinned back her ears at the unwelcomed guest, even if she was slightly alarmed that the forest apparently wasn't as dead as they had all presumed if there was an owl flying around in it, "What do you want? I don't have time for your mind games you birds like to play!" Akira huffed, turning to her side to let her body rest better and recover quicker so she could get up again and search once more. She hadn't realized just how far or how hard she had started running for her body to be this tired, but she could already feel her energy returning since she was relenting and resting for a bit.

"You seek he who has spoken before. You seek that and so much more. Furred beasts- one with a humans eye, he asked a question I was tempted to deny, deny, deny!" the owl fluffed up his feathers as if he were singing like song birds did in spring, but he was hardly a comparison according to Akira.

She paused, holding her breath as she realized what the bird had just said. Her body jumped up and turned in mid air, landing on her feet excitedly with her white tipped tail wagging madly behind her in haste, "That has to be my brother! You spoke with him? What did he ask you? Please tell me!" she lifted her front paws to the base of the tree eagerly with her ears pinned down in plea.

"The spirit may be willing, yet the body is so weak, he asked of one of those he sought to greet. The body needs food and housing while its inhabitants go on browsing" the owl riddled with her again as he bobbed his head left and then right in a rhythm owls seemed to have exclusively.

"What do you mean…?" Akira tilt her head. Her eyes widened when the bird lift his great wings and flapped them mightily before taking off, gliding trough the forest, "Wai-Wait a minute! What about my brother!"

"The ties of blood are thicker than mud. Seek and you shall find, ask questions buried deep with in the back of your mind!" the owl hooted as he gently flapped his wings to keep a flight while the red wolf ran beneath him, struggling to keep up.

"CANT YOU GIVE ME A STRAIGHT ANSWER!" Akira snapped at the bird, not even thinking about the scent she followed was changed now, "I need you to tell me what…" her question died off as she approached a blinding light through the thick trees- a clearing. Unlike the dirt that marred the forest floor everywhere else, this place was filled with strange brown and green flowers. They were not eye catching like so many other flowers such as the Lunar flower, and they didn't seem to have a distinctive sent…. And yet the forest around her seemed to be bursting with life! She could hear birds and smell animals, feel the warmth of the hidden sun between the changing leaves above and a slight breeze ruffled her fur. She blinked in surprise as she found her feet were no longer moving and she was standing in shock in the middle of this strange scentless grove of flowers. Her orange eyes dilated with shock!

"It's the flowers…" Her head snapped to the calm tenor voice that spoke. From the shadows of the living forest her eyes could make out the light catching on a silver sheen of almost metallic-color fur of a bushy tail.

"Jazz….?" She whispered, taking a few steps forward hopefully.

His back faced her, but he turned his head so she could see his green eye that had been a trademark for him. He couldn't help but smile when he saw her tail wag much like she had when she was a pup when she realized it was him, but he couldn't bring himself to face her. He couldn't let her see his fall from grace in the form of the damnable humans eye Darcia forced upon him. He calmly waited for her to approach him, but noticed her hesitation.

"Jazz…. Is that you?" her ears slowly rose to stand tall as she took her time approaching him. Something very unlike the old Akira. Jasper could already tell what a life on the run had done to his once carefree sister. She was becoming cautious and that saddened him, "it's me, Akira!" Akira felt her courage return to her when she got closer and knew it was her brother, "What's going on here. Why is the forest suddenly alive but I couldn't smell you until now with out the blood… are you hurt from the shot wound?" she looked at the blood mark on his shoulder but found that he wasn't favoring it. She tilt her head in confusion.

"The bullet passed through." He reassured, rolling his shoulder to prove his point, "The flowers have no scent, but their fumes cover any scent they align near. That's why your pack couldn't find the water or the wolves." He nodded the way he was looking, "Follow this path and you should find the water hole this forest uses as a center source of any life. There should be food for every one there too." He still didn't look directly at her and it started to unnerve her.

"That's…. that's great and all, but…" Akira narrowed her eyes as she moved to stand in front of him so he would look at her, but he turned his head away to avoid her being able to see his shame, "Hey, why wont you look at me when I'm talking to you?" she pinned her ears back annoyed with this game, "Come on this isn't funny! What's wrong with you, brother?" she asked while she kept trying to look at his face head on but he kept avoiding her.

_**Yes, dear brother wolf, why won't you look at her with both eyes? **_A voice purred inside of him.

Jazz clenched his eyes shut and snarled at her when she tried once again, "Stay where you are and leave me the hell alone!" he growled out menacingly. His eyes widened when he saw her freeze and back away submissively with her eyes lowered. He hadn't meant her…. Jasper watch as now SHE refused to look at him. This was unlike her. She was so easy to startle, so easy to bark into submission…. What had happened to her this past year?

"Akira… no, Akira I…." Jasper was at a loss, "I didn't mean-,"

"Jazz….?" Her tender voice silenced him as he watched her orange eyes slowly look up to meet him, she was still unable to see his accursed human eye, "Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" she asked softly, "I've missed you so much…"

"Akira, please understa-," he started but was cut off.

"AKIRA!" Toboe howled in the distance, startling both wolves down in the grove below.

Akira and Jazz turned to look up at the steep ledge Jasper and Blue had fallen down before, detecting that the others were fast approaching. Akira turned completely, her back to her brother now as she realized they had found her! She felt a sense of great relief and excitement to be able to introduce them to her long lost beloved brother!

Jasper saw the look of excitement return to her face and felt a deep wound being made on his heart. He was once the one to bring her such joy, but now all he brought her was pain, and the longer he stayed with her, the longer Darcia had to wrap his poisonous claws around her. He had to leave her in the pack's hands until he was free of Darcia. Then he would return and maybe one day tell her of his fall from grace, but right now… he was still her hero and to kill that image…. Jasper just couldn't.

So with a heavy heart, the silver wolf quickly plucked a few scentless flowers in his jaws and slipped into the darkness while his sisters back was turned. The flowers covering up his scent as he retreated.

"That's them! They're co-," Akira whirled back, expecting to see her brother just as excited as her to find the others but she was met with a dark and empty, scentless space instead. Jasper was nowhere to be found and she couldn't pick up a trace of him.

"J-Jazz?..." she looked around frantically! Where's he go? She started to lean forward, intending to take a sniff at the ground he had stood on when-

"AKIRA!" With out warning, Akira was tackled to the ground by Heart at a full run/stumble down the steep hill and came slamming into the unsuspecting red wolf, knocking them both to the ground while the rest of the wolves and Cheza crowding around, sliding down the hill and tumbling into the grove of strange flowers one after another in varying ways, "Why'd you run off like that? You had us all worried! I know Kiba was a bastard and all, but that doesn't mean you should go off on your own!" the older she-wolf growled in her face as the two landed with the black wolf atop the surprised red one, clearly worried. Her red eyes full with apprehension as she looked Akira over, checking for injuries that weren't there, "Do you realize what could have happened to you? ANYTHING! That's what!" she reprimanded Akira who just looked up in confusion.

"Why-What?" Akira's head started spinning while Heart started to climb off her.

"Yeah!" now it was Toboe who was in her face, but now he stood by her head, looking upside-down at her, "What if we were in the city or something like before, huh?" he was practically nose to nose with her now, "And what if that old man had found you! He'd have shot you by now!"

"Uh… Do wha now?" the red she-wolf sweat dropped with a goofy clueless look on her face.

Heart's face fell, "N'grraaah!" she groaned, "AKIRA! Will you listen for once! You can't keep going off on your own like this and not think about the consequence!"

"Hmph, not to mention the time we just wasted our efforts in looking for you when we could have been looking for water." Tsume snorted with a haughty raise of his chin.

Heart turned a dull glare at the arrogant wolf and swatted his face with her tail, "Hush up, grumpy whiskers." She rolled her eyes while he glared indignantly back at her, "You know you were just as worried for her as the rest of us were." She huffed.

Akira's brain latched on to one crucial word from all that and it seemed to jumpstart itself, "WATER!" she yelped, startling the others, "I know where there's water!"

"What are you talking about Akira?" Hige snorted, "There's been no scents since we walked into this hell hole made of dirt and old wood." He said doubtfully.

"Just take a sniff! I'm sure you can smell it now!" she nodded her head earnestly.

Hige rolled his eyes and sarcastically took a deep breath, eyes widening in shock as his head turned to the right suddenly, towards the water she knew to be there as well, "How…. How did you find that?" he tilt his head at her confused, knowing how horrible her tracking skills were.

"Jasper told me just to follow this path and we'd find the forests main watering hole for anything that lives here!" Akira explained as if that answered everything.

"Jasper?" Toboe repeated.

"You mean that wolf that took the bullet for us back at the grave yard?" Kiba specified.

"Yeah! That's him! He was just here a minute ago!"

"That can't be right." Hige sighed as if she were just a pup with an overenthusiastic imagination, "I mean I smell the water and everything NOW but the scent I caught off him back at the graveyard isn't here. You must have just imagined him or something." He shrugged it off.

"Grr!" Akira felt like pulling her hair out in frustration, "I know who I saw! I even TALKED with him!" she glared down at the flowers, "He must have taken some of THESE with him," she kicked at the flowers in her irritation, "they hide scents, its why we couldn't smell anything in the forest before."

Kiba picked up a flower and crushed it between his fingers, "It's similar to a flower I'd seen before. It'd make sense for a pack raining over a land with scarce food to live near a grove of them to ward off intruders of any game." His blue eyes narrowed as his nostrils flared while he gathered Cheza back up into his arms, "You said the water was that way?" he addressed Akira who jumped when he started talking to HER.

"Well- uh, you see-," Akira paused while Kiba bypassed the others and started walking past her towards the scent of water and her heart sunk. He didn't even give her a passing glance. Her eyes followed his back for a while and then down cast to her feet, avoiding the sympathetic looks of her pack mates, "Yeah… that way." She mumbled, falling in line with the others as they followed the single-minded Kiba.

The wolves looked around them in awe as the thick, dark forest quickly came to life beyond the patch of scentless brown flowers. The dark, dusty earth was sprouting blades of rich green grass and bushes that crowded around the trunks of tall, healthy trees with green leaves that seemed like they were in the middle of the autumn change of color. Dark greens, yellow, and rustic reds paved a rainbow of leaves over their heads while birds sang to them sweetly hidden behind the leaves in the trees. Hige's mouth watered when a plump rabbit scurried across their path, but he had no time to go forth and track it down, Kiba was determined to get Cheza to the life-giving promise of water.

Each wolf's ears perked at a new sound that slowly made itself known through all the other wondrous noises of the forest- the trickle of a brook. Kiba broke out to a run, forcing the others to pick up the pace or be left behind. Through the trees, the forest parted wide enough that the open sky was able to look down upon a deep crater in the ground filled with fresh, clear water that was being fed from a small brook that sloped down the mountain. The cloudy sky above didn't shine the sun directly but in some parts of it the clouds seemed thinner and let beams of the mighty star fall to the earth, one seemed to highlight the spring as if it were a godsend to all the life around it and that's just what it was to the wolves- a god send.

"WHOOO HOOOO!" Toboe whooped as he jumped in the air in excitement and then bolted for the water, jumping in before the older wolves could even think to out run him, "WATER!" _CA-SPLASSSSH!_

Water was sprayed into the air, raining on a few of Toboe's companions that had gotten closer to the spring than others, but Toboe didn't care! He breached the surface forcefully gasping for a desperate breath, "OHMYGOD! THAT'S COLD!" he yelped and quickly made his way towards the shallows, in an attempt to get out and shift to wolf form, hoping that maybe his fur would stave off the cold that was suddenly hit him.

"This one is very grateful," Cheza nodded her thanks to Kiba while the brunette carefully set her down at the bank of the spring. Cheza dipped her feet in the water and preened as if in ecstasy, "Hmmm," she sighed, "This water is very rich! This one already feels better" she smiled brightly at the relieved Kiba.

Tsume and Hige grinned at the shivering Toboe and both plowed into the water, dragging the surprised pup back to the deep end while poor Toboe struggled to get free.

"Hey runt!" Hige grinned devilishly as he grabbed onto Toboe's shoulders, "Still thirsty?" he shoved the pup under water and backed off before Toboe could surface and retaliate. The elder wolf laughed at Toboe's winded-look when he resurfaced once more and tried to glare at his friend.

"Jerk!" Toboe couldn't help but laugh back at Hige playfully, trying to splash the impish wolf back, but Hige was able to out maneuver him in the water Toboe wasn't used to swimming in.

"You know what Porky?" Tsume smirked evilly and Hige felt his stomach drop in fear, "you BOTH look thirsty to me!" the oldest wolf struck the water and made a powerful wave spring forth, soaking both boys chilled to the bone now with one attack, "HA!" Tsume gloated.

Heart ran at the water and did a cannon ball right by Tsume, soaking him as well. The gray wolf stood very still, trying to stave off the cold chills going up and down his spine as the cold water dripped down from his sopping wet hair now. He looked like a splashed cat in the rain the way he stiffened. Toboe and Hige stifled a giggle while they huddled together for warmth in the water while Heart's head emerged out of the water with her cheeks puffed out and a malicious look in her red eyes as she tried her best to smile at Tsume.

"I suppose you thought that funny?" Tsume grumped at her. He quickly clenched his eyes shut tight when she squirted the water she held in her mouth at his face. His lip twitching in distaste.

Heart cackled at his grouchy expression, "Now I do! Ah hahahaha!" she back stroked away from him as the soaked male made a grab for her, quickly getting out of his range and mocking him as he kept trying to catch her in the water, only for her to slip from his grasp again and again.

"NOW THAT WAS FUNNY!" Hige laughed loudly and the others started to join in. Cheza giggled off to the side, safely away from where the water fight was going on between the wolves as the moon started to rise. Her cool hands buried in Akira's red fur as the female wolf decided to return to her wolf form and lay next to Cheza, letting her front paws dangle in the water along with the flower maiden. Akira's orange eyes smiled as she saw the relaxed joy on her friends faces. They had all been stressed in the climb up the mountain and the escape of that city with the hunter following them. It had been a while since they'd all smiled and laughed like this. She sighed, wanting to bask in the carefree atmosphere, but a tingle swept up her spine, somehow making her turn and look back at Kiba. Still in his human form to use his height to his advantage as his blue eyes took in everything around them. His back was to Cheza and Akira, but Akira could tell he missed nothing that was going on around them. Akira sighed dispirited. Even when all the others let their guard down, Kiba kept his tightly up, surveying the area like a guard dog.

'_No_' Akira thought turning away from Kiba, '_Even guard dogs had time to relax._' She rolled her eyes, then caught Cheza's eye. She wagged her tail when Cheza scratched behind her ear, whining softly in her appreciation, '_At least Cheza can replenish herself now!'_ she honestly felt happier about that thought. What she didn't notice was that Kiba's ears instantly caught the sound of pleasure coming from her and turned to look towards her, taking in the happy fluff of her fur and the pleased wag of her tail while the flower pet her fur lovingly. Kiba's cold blue eyes softened and warmed at the sight and a small smile graced his lips at the sight of a happy Akira and his heart seemed to swell a bit.

His instincts roared to life as Kiba caught something flash through the trees out of the corner of his eye and the smile was suddenly gone, just as soon as it came. He tampered down a low warning growl as the scent of the intruders reached his nostrils and made him want to instantly assert his dominance as the alpha male of his pack and warn off the intruders. Akira jerked away from Cheza's soothing fingers, noticing the young man tense up with his eyes deliberately looking through forest as if something were there. Her own eyes scanned the thick foliage nervously, noting that the birds were no longer singing and the forest was filled with the sounds of shuffling paws, grunts and growls and cackles of intruders just beyond sight. The red wolf stood up while the rest of her pack switched to wolf forms as well, sensing the intruding pack. The three in the water were standing up in the shallows of the water, their hackles raised in alarm while Cheza's fingers clutched to Akira's fur in fear. Akira darted a look down to the worried flower and moaned lowly to try and soothe her.

'_It's alright Cheza,'_ Akira said.

'_This one's not so sure. This one senses darkness coming.' _Cheza turned to face Akira in her telepathy.

Akira could feel her own heart beat start to pick up as her pack's nervousness started to get to her. Slowly, she turned to look back at Kiba who was now on Cheza's other side, his teeth slightly bared as his now golden eyes glared into the darkness.

"K-Kiba?" Akira whispered worried.

"Who the hell are you?" a gruff voice demanded from the shadows. The pack's attention turned as one when a wolf resembling more of a bear with his sheer size stepped out into the light the moonlight cast now in the twilight. His eyes were cold light brown and his thick fur, thicker than Hige's, the color of dark chocolate and a shock of pitch black down his spine ending at the tip of his tail and between his ears. The long dark fur on his back stood threateningly on shoulders a good three inches taller than Tsume's, "Who said you could indulge in my spring?" he stood taller.

"YOUR Spring!" Heart snapped back, "There was no scent marking around here!" she gnashed her fangs in threat.

"Shut up you stupid bitch." The large wolf snorted, "We are the only pack for miles and usually kill trespassers, so scent markings are useless." He licked his fangs slowly as he took a look at each member of the smaller pack while his own much larger pack emerged from the shadows surrounding the clearing.

More wolves similarly colored to the larger dark wolf started to appear, all male and all fairly large with a crazed look in their eyes as their tongues lolled out and their teeth bore in a threat at the smaller pack in the shallows. All together Kiba counted about twenty he could physically count out surrounding the clearing, but the stench they carried was too strong to be such a small number. Most likely, this pack had formed much like he and the others had, but instead of becoming nomadic like he and the others, this pack found a place to call their own and went mad with the need to seek out the flower, yet denying it all this time. To show he wasn't impressed by their numbers, Kiba stood tall and firm with his tail raised in a proud manor. Tsume and Hige were already backing out of the water, urging Toboe to follow while Heart glared daggers at the largest wolf whom spoke to them and called her bitch. She stayed put in the shallows, ignoring how her lower legs and paws were freezing now and she looked harmless soaking wet as she was and dripping like a drowned cat, but her eyes burned with a pent up fire she longed to unleash in good fight with these wolves. The large dark wolf, presumably the alpha of this native pack, caught her eye and snarled at her insubordination, but Heart just growled right back.

"You wanna play big boy?" she snarled under her breath, taking a step forward in the water, her claws dug into the soft undertow, ready and willing to sink into flesh if she was threatened much more than she and her pack already were.

"Heart," Akira whispered from behind her, too scared to move out into the water to retriever her friend, "Heart, please?" Akira lead Cheza closer to the center of their much smaller pack, wanting to protect the flower maiden from the scary wolves as much as possible. Obligingly, Heart backed out of the water, but not with out sending a warning glare at the opposing alpha. Once on land, she inserted herself in front of Cheza in an attempt to cut off the flower from feeling the anger from the other wolves and the crazed darkness even Heart could feel, she was sure it was terrifying Cheza to feel such madness coming from wolves.

"Not from around these parts are ya?" the massive alpha snorted as he paced once back and forth on his own side of the spring, allowing it to be the divider between the two packs, even though about ten of his own wolves blocked the small pack from behind. His long tail was held high in the air as he haughtily looked over each wolf, "No. Ya'll smell so fresh, the scentless flowers haven't effected your scents yet. Your stench is still individual and strong." He harrumphed, rooting himself once again and cocked his head cockily to the side, "Ain't much to your little pack. Just a bunch of strays and a few bitches for a good fuck every now and then to keep ya'll together. Nice to have to of 'em, eh?" he and his large pack snickered, making Akira want to sink in the ground to hide while Heart felt her fury spike to new levels, "Yes, them are some fine ass bitches ya got there." He licked the side of his mouth in appreciation as his bright brown eyes raked over Heart's form and then over Akira who hid behind her with Cheza practically wrapped around her, hiding her own face in Akira's neck fur.

"Not only that…. But ya'll seem to have a flower with ya." He tilt his head almost curiously, "Yeah, different kind of flower with ya," the wolf noticed as his nose twitched, "Ah, the scent of the lunar flower, the key to paradise. We've waited for its passage to our lands to paradise." His eyes took on a dangerous glint to them as the wolves behind the small pack started crowding closer, too close for comfort actually, "We'll just be takin that off your hands now." He grinned sinisterly as his voice grew deeper and gravely with his lust.

The smaller pack crowded closer together to protect Cheza who was nestled in Akira's arms between the backs of the rest of their pack. Akira clenched her eyes tight, trying to hold in her fear and anger. She was terrified that her friends would have to fight their way out of this one. Terrified that Cheza might get hurt in the process. Terrified what the other wolves would do to them or to Cheza, but she was ANGERY that these wolves were even going to TRY. The anger bubbled in Akira's belly, spurred by the quiet whimpers Cheza sniffled in her ear and the warning growls her friends bellowed to match the threats of the other wolves snapping jowls and low growls.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Akira snapped as her anger took control. Her commanding voice she didn't know she had startled the others to a pause and Heart moved aside to look back at her, in doing so, let the opposing Alpha get a better look at the scrawnier female that spoke out with such boldness, "I won't let you hurt ANYONE here! You can't just go around shoving your weight around like this! We won't let you take Cheza and I won't let you harm my friends, got that!" she hissed.

The large wolf gave her a once over and let his snarl curl into a wolfish grin, "Don't you know who you're speaking to? I am Desmond, Alpha of this pack." He moved then, up to the edge of the bank and stood tall with his eyes glued to Akira's form, willing her to cower under his authority, "Only Alpha's should speak out against other alpha's. don't you know that bitch? You really gonna sit there and talk like that when its your ALPHA," when he spat the word of her 'superior' his stony brown eyes darted heatedly towards Kiba, leveling a common glare alphas were known for shooting one another and then turned his attention back to the little flare of a female, "that should do that talking, she-pup?" he taunted her with a flick of his tail behind him that gave way to his interest in her.

Kiba gritted his teeth, holding his tongue from telling the bastard off for staring at Akira like a piece of meat. He had already taken inventory of the opposing pack. All male. No females. Usually, when a female wolf went into heat it sent the males into a frenzy, and got them very hyped up even weeks before the heat actually struck because of the pheromone the female lets off when her body prepares itself. From the look in this alpha, Desmond's eyes … Kiba knew that the brute could smell it on Akira and Heart. They were close to their heat. He had to get the girls and his friends out of here before the other pack decided to take Heart and Akira as their own!

"Ha!" Hige cackled sarcastically and made a big show of himself to get Desmonds attention off Akira, "We don't HAVE an Alpha, Shit-tard!" he stated proudly, "She's entitled to her own opinion." Hige felt the hairs on his back stand on end as two new glares were directed to him- Kiba and Tsume's. the idiot just gave away something very valuable to them if they wanted to get the girls out easily…. And he just shit on it.

"Oh really now?" the Alpha almost seemed to purr as he shared a glance with his underlings that cackled much like hyenas around the clearing, "No Alpha to fight for them and no mate to get in the way?" brown eyes lit with absolute violent lust, "There's no way we can let you leave then."

With their leaders decision spoken, the other wolves grinned, bearing their fangs once more and closing in on the group, this time quicker than before. Kiba and the others formed a tight circle around Cheza and Akira, snarling right back at the opposing wolves in challenge, but Desmond held his pack back once again.

"Last chance, you govern-less pack of flea bitten mutts." He drawled, "Leave your females behind and whatever's making that alluring scent and we'll let you pass." Akira's ears perked at the alpha's words…

'_He doesn't know its CHEZA_!' she thought.

"Forget about it." Kiba snarled back, the fur on his back and tail standing on end, "It's not happening!"

The anxious violent pack quickly turned to their alpha like eager children wanting to rip into a birthday cake, grinning when they saw Desmond shrug his huge shoulders, rolling the tight muscles under his thick fur, "Then so be it."

Cheza cried out when she heard the first tear of flesh as a wolf dug its fangs into Kiba's shoulder. Kiba reared up and powerfully punched his paw into the other's face, sinking his steal claws into the offenders muzzle and shoving him away before readying himself for the next victim with a battle cry of his own. Akira let the lunar flower cower underneath her while she stood over her protectively, but her orange eyes were shocked at what she saw. Tsume grabbed the scruff of ones neck and whirled him into another three wolves that were charging in on them. Hige was pinned down and was using his hind claws to dig into their flesh and knock them off, scraping the soft under bellies of his offenders. Heart ripped off an ear of a wolf who went for Toboe's back, and then again snapped its leg in two when the wolf tried attack her in retaliation.

She couldn't take it! Cheza was crying! Her heart was pounding! Closing her eyes, she could still hear the screams, the growls, the snarls, and smell the scent of blood split in anger!

"Stop…" she whispered as she tried to block it all out, "STOP IT!" she cried, shoving herself away from Cheza and bursting through the tight circle her friends had made around them, effectively catching Desmonds eye. The alpha called off his wolves for a moment, curious to hear the little spitfire speak again. It took Kiba and the others a few moments to realize their enemy was called off, but when they did, all five wolves looked around them in confusion. Why weren't the crazed wolves attacking? Kiba frantically looked around for something that would have changed their minds and quickly turned to check on Cheza, seeing Akira absent from her side. His golden eyes widened as fear gripped his gut.

"Kiba…." Heart's whispered voice quivered desperately. Kiba's eyes quickly looked towards Heart who was watching a small wolf with rustic red fur in the pattern of a fox pelt making her way around the spring towards the other side where Desmond awaited her.

"AKIRA!" he called out to her, making her flinch and stutter in her stride but she never stopped walking towards the other Alpha.

"LET HER COME!" Desmond bellowed, cutting off Kiba's attempts to race out and retrieve her, "You are NOT her alpha, and therefore, have no hold on her! Stay were you are stray, or you will be struck down!" Desmond threatened as his wolves tensed, ready to attack should one of the small pack make a wrong move.

Desmond turned his body to face the small female that approached him with her head lowered, body showing submissiveness but in her burning orange eyes there was a different story. He saw a fire stoking in them that flared in their orange hues that was anything but submissive.

"You-You said just the intoxicating scent of the lunar flower and the females right?" she couldn't hide the stutter her racing heart caused as it lodged in her nervous throat, "What if I were to offer both? One female with the scent of the lunar flower? Would you let the others pass then?" she bravely compromised, keeping herself a small distance from the overwhelming size of the large Desmond while his lackeys crowded closer towards them, leering at her as if she were a freshly slaughtered lamb for them. Her tail ached to tuck between her legs and hide, but she stubbornly held it out rigidly. She wouldn't back down, not now.

"One female with the scent of the flower? Am I to presume that would be you, pup?" he lazily raked his eyes over her once more, obviously enjoying the view with how his back legs shifted slightly and his tail curled over his back, "Certainly nice to look at aren't you," he swaggered towards her, knowing the rest of her pack was helpless in this situation.

"Akira…" Toboe started to try and get her back, but Tsume slid a paw in his way. The gray wolf shook his head no sternly even as he had to hold himself back from going at the supposed Alpha for daring to approach little Akira.

"They'll easily kill her if he doesn't like this. If he accepts, we'll get out of this hell hole alive and in once piece." Tsume explained softly in a toneless voice that had Toboe worried.

"Yeah, at _her _expense." Hige muttered under his breath apprehensively while they waited to see where this was going.

Heart was frozen in place, though it took all her will to do so. Her red eyes darted back at Kiba, '_What's wrong with him! Why is he just standing there?'_ she thought.

Akira was slightly taken off guard when the large wolf dipped his head low to her and started to sniff at her, inhaling excessively at her intoxicating scent that was so similar to the lunar flower's. she forced herself to stay completely still while she slowed her breathing to try and calm her racing heart she was sure he could hear. Her orange eyes never left him as he made a tight circle around her small body, practically walking over her as he nosed her all over. She couldn't stop her ears from pinning down to her head in uncertainty or the slight quiver in her tail while the fur on her shoulders stood up in apprehension.

"Well, well," Desmond grinned in a perverted version of gentle smile, "you really do have the fabled scent of the flower on you, girlie," he smirked as he stretched his neck to let his nose butt her just below her tail, making her jerk away in surprise as he took a few sniffs from there as well while her tail quickly tucked itself tighter to her for protection, "and from the scent of ya, you're far from barren, bitch. Your heat is extremely close," he licked his upper lip at the prospect, "I can almost taste it it's so close!" Akira nearly choked on her own air in embarrassment as she gritted her teeth and tried her best to glare back at him, moving to face him rather than let him sniff up her tail again.

"Satisfied?" she pressed him for their bargain.

The lumbering dark wolf looked down at her as he straightened to his full height again. The she wolf before him not even as tall as his smallest omega of the pack by about half a head, yet even HE could tell she was something of value and worth taking in. with a sharp turn of his head, Desmond nodded to the his wolves surrounding her pack, "Let them pass." He ordered, "as for you," he turned his light eyes locked onto Kiba's golden ones, "Head due North. That's how you get out of here. If you get lost, just wander around till you run into that kooky owl that flies around here. Say to him 'I wish for the hidden treasure in the northern weathers' and he should lead you in the right direction. Keep hunting to a minimum. You have a day to get out or my wolves will chase you out." Desmond's pack parted in a single area towards the north to show the wolves the starting way out.

Tsume wryly looked towards the escape path the enemy wolves gave them and felt uneasy. Even great Alpha's had trouble getting his pack to remain under complete control like Desmond was sporting in his pack. Even the injured wolves that had attacked earlier obediently backed down to this monstrous sized wolf. He took one last look at Desmond, his gut rebelling against leaving little Akira in his care but he was in no position to safely retrieve her just yet. Not with Cheza so close to the danger. With a sigh, the gray wolf nudged Toboe and Hige to get a move on and followed at their flank out the opening of wolves, keeping an eye on the pack he didn't understand. Heart moved to Cheza's side, brushing her side softly against her and let the flower maiden take a light hold of her fur and lead her out beside Tsume, making sure the flower was protected on either side.

Kiba stayed rooted in place and rigid as ever, but his eyes were wide with untapped fury. Akira's back was to him, but he snarled as the large alpha, only centimeters taller than Kiba himself, paced around her sticking his nose in her fur and inhaling the intoxicating scent like a drug addict. He recognized the way the male dragged his own fur along her body, making sure his scent rubbed off on her a bit- a scent claim. A low growl bellowed from the white wolf's chest as his anger bubbled and boiled with in the longer he watched the possessive display. The light brown eyes followed each of Kiba's friends as they left as if counting them off and then finally landing on him and the wolf had the gall to smirk at him. The bastard was GLOATING that he just took a female from Kiba's pack and Kiba had done little to stop her! Kiba bore his fangs and lowered his head in threat…

A small whine stopped Kiba from bursting into attack and caught him off guard. His snarl faltered when he realized Akira was watching him over her shoulder, not moving from where the alpha was practically pawing at her. Soon as she caught his eye thought, she turned away as if in shame and Kiba gritted his teeth in a different kind of anguish that now washed over himself. She must have offered herself because she thought herself the weakest of the pack. She wanted them to go on with out her if they had to…. And Kiba hadn't done much anything to prove to her that she meant more to the pack than that… more to him….

"You on the get go yet Snow White?" Desmond snorted with a haughty tilt of his head, going so far as to step over Akira, standing over her possessively and effectively hiding her from Kiba's view again. Desmond could sense the stubborn bond the white wolf held with his new female, but he wasn't one to honor such things if they weren't solid. The female was HIS now. This little kit could buggar off.

Akira's tail- the only part of her visible to Kiba, noticeably went rigid and taunt when the large wolf stood over her. Kiba could tell she was shaking in the strain not to curl her tail between her legs in fear and crouch down like a frightened pup. She was putting on such a brave front but she was still obviously terrified.

Putting aside his own self-regrets of the way he treated her before, Kiba glared back at the alpha- the competition- the obstacle…. Even if he screwed up his chances with the little foxy she-wolf, he wouldn't leave her here with this jackass… Kiba bared his fangs once more and snarled deeply, taking satisfaction that the lackey wolves near him tensed in fear. They knew his strength. His last victim was still very dazed and wounded!

"KIBA!" Tsume barked from the trees. Kiba didn't turn his head away from Desmond, but his eyes darted sidelong to see Tsume's stern glare that read a silent, '_Not now._'

"Go on, Kiba." Kiba's ears perked up when he heard a small voice whisper. Even for his keen hearing, Kiba had to strain to hear her soft voice, "I've made my decision. You know what you have to do." It was Akira's final word of good-bye, "Just go…"

"You heard her whitey tighty." Desmond stomped a paw in impatience, "GET LOST!"

Kiba's softened, far off look hardened once more to a diamond-edged death glare he leveled with Desmond who met it arrogantly with his own mocking one, "One scratch on her and it's your pelt that will be on the floor while their house cats pick off meat from your bones." He warned and then backed himself down the opening before turning reluctantly to join the others of his pack, ignoring the spurring snarls coming from the rest of Desmonds pack.

"Kiba… Kiba we're not really going to… well," Toboe whimpered as he stared down at his paws shamefully before looking up at the elder wolf with hope filled eyes, "we're not going to leave her here with them are… are we?" he looked like he was on the verge of crying!

The rest of the pack fell silent while Kiba lead them farther away from the pack. Heart was starting to get sick of the silent act Kiba was pulling on them and snarled her distaste for him.

"So that's it then. You'll abandon her to rabid wolves and take your precious FLOWER off to Nederland, is that it?" Heart stomped her paw.

"I would never leave Akira like that." Kiba replied matter-of-factly.

"I'VE HAD IT WITH-," Heart paused in her tirade, "What?" she blinked owlishly, clearly not expecting that response.

"I said there's no way in hell I'm allowing those bastards to take Akira away from me." Kiba turned to face them with a determined look in his golden eyes, "I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being hunted, and walked over."

"I've been restless and bored with beating up humans lately. A good dog fight'll bring back fond memories." Tsume smirked in agreement, rolling his shoulders to stretch the muscles there fondly.

"That's more I like it!" Heart whooped excitedly with a wag of her tail in excitement, "So what's the plan?" she asked eagerly.

"We find a place to keep Cheza safe for now. Then, we go back and wipe that arrogant smirk right off that fucking bastards face." Kiba's voice was on a dangerous edge of anger, "She doesn't know what she's getting into…"

-A/N- So yeeeeeah…. ^_^; hi peoples who probably angry with me again! XP Well pretty much had a BIG role of bad luck along with some really nice silver linings. First of all Internet went out about a month and a half ago at my place and when I was a school for internet it was usually used FOR school. Then I had a final surgery that gave me an allergic reaction and screwed up a few of my classes I now had to drop and the list escalates, BUT the good news is that through this all, the love of my life stayed by me and encouraged me back to my feet. With his help of encouragement, I'm now probably about to get a good paying job and my grades are rolling back on track… AAAAAAAANNNND I should be getting internet back at my house soon. Plus, I don't have an English class anymore so now all my writing muse is able to focus on my Wolfs Rain fic ^_^ the others will probably follow afterwards, but so long as I keep this one going, they tend to fall into place as well. Guess that's just how my psyche works? Just stay with me, I may not update every month, but I am trying my best to think up the rest of this rewrite for you guys and myself as well! Its fun for me but we don't always get to do what we think is fun, do we (sad face) lol

**Review responces-**

Venom- You know Tsume enjoyed that scene VERY much so XP as for the rape scene… Me thinks Imma try it out and see how far I can push it before I get too disturbed XP thanks for your input man!

Carnage- this is a valid point I remembered. Lol I'm already rated M and have bloody scenes, so one little rape scene to go with the story wont be too bad. Besides, Kiba needs a bit of a jumpstart in his possessiveness I thing… other than for Cheza lol!

Vongola Ottavo- I took your advice and tried out Hitman Reborn before my internet went away a month or so ago and OMG! Thank you soooo much for introducing this to me! Lol

XVongolaDecimoX- 0.0 …. ^_^ happy you liked it so much! Lol I hope you liked this last chapter too! Lol

Hachik- Diya with Jagura? Hmmmm lol I can't give that juicy secrete away since it gets even better with the rewrites than in the original! Lol thank you for liking my art as well as my writings! It makes me happy to know people appreciate my work!

Canis Simensis- How'd the move turn out? You liking the new place? And Yes, I'm trying to make Jazz more devoted of a brother this go around and have the bond between brother and sister that much more special! Trust me, the AkiraXKiba scenes are just getting warmed up, especially after the next chapter! Heheh!

VongolaPrimoGiotto- When I read your comment it makes me LOL! I'm very proud you regard my fic in such high regard! Hope I didn't make you wait tooo long this last time! Sorry about that!

Bleach1fan- what part of Bleach have you gotten to? I'm caught up in the manga and having to wait every week for an update and then wait even more for a chance to get on some kind of free wi fi! Lol Get ready for a good wolf fight! Lol

Jginha- XP I know I'm taking long to update and still have fans lol It surprises me too that they are willing to hang with me and keep reading but I'm very greatful they do lol

Kjik- I'm sorry! I know I promised one month and didn't do it! Please don't discount it on the work! T_T life was mean to me for a few months and I have a feeling its not done yet lol, but I'm trying my hardest to get these out for you guy!

Desy-san1fan- awwww Nice name XP Is sorries! Here here! I updated lol its not nearly as long as the last one, but I hope it will due lol

XXX-Just to clear the air- as far as updates come, I'm going to try and get them out as quick as possible, of that I can promise you. Whether that's a month two… cough three, I apologize in advance!

And I also thank all those who still read it even with my weird update schedules! You guys are seriously the best!

-till next time!

Dessy-san


	11. Chapter 10 Of Tooth and Claw

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolfs Rain, but I do own my characters and this idea to make all of this.

A/N- So….. sorry about the 2 year hiatus. As always….. things come up lol I have missed you all and….

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR BEING FANS OF THIS FIC!

IM SORRY IM SORRY IM SORRY IM SORRY!

Also, I'm in love! SQUEEEEEEEEE!

Sorry! Had to get it out! I'm sorry!

_In my field of paper flowers  
And candy clouds of lullaby  
I lie inside myself for hours  
And watch my purple sky fly over me_

I lie inside myself for hours  
And watch my purple sky fly over me  
Don't say I'm out of touch  
With this rampant chaos, your reality  
I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge  
The nightmare I built my own world to escape

_**Imaginary: Evanescence**_

Chapter 10 Of Tooth and Claw

The airship known as Elorrah docked into the high tower's harbor reaching far above the clouds that looked down upon the city known as Jagura's Paradise. Its finely crafted metal groaned as the gravity shields and protective barriers were finally let down after a voyage into enemy territory and soon steam started simmering out of the aircrafts seams while she prepared to release her crew and passengers. Her solid golden boarding ramp slowly extracted itself from the unlocking heavy doors and reached out to the white marble dock where a small crowd of high-ranking officers stood awaiting the crew's arrival. All twenty-five of them were in identical silver armored suits resembling knights of the old ages in a time almost unheard of by most people of this world. The only difference was the faces that peaked out of the raised face-guards of the helmets, yet all sported the same expression- a look of stone-cold expectation of their queen's right hand captain, Captain Diya.

The Generals all waited patiently while servants and lower crew members filtered out of the ship, taking with them cargo their ground troops confiscated while they had held back Lord Orchem's troops for the search party. Slabs of silver, sheets of marble in every color, exotic animals and birds were all unloaded carefully and lined up fashionably in presentation for their Queen to over look and decide what should stay and what should be thrown out. The twenty-five generals snared, each in his or her own way when they heard the melodic, stern voice lash through the docking bay of the ship as she harped at the soldiers that dragged out what appeared to be a barred metallic cage holding some sort of canine inside. Behind that cage, a larger cage held many of the same creatures. All snarling and barking in anger, but yelping in pain when the silver bars came into contact with their skin under their fur, paws or teeth when they tried to free themselves. The single creature separated from the others lay calmly on her side, curled up, but her small ears were pinned down to her head fearfully as she watched the captain harp at her men to be careful with the cages holding her and the others.

"Captain Diya," One of the Twenty-five spoke out to catch her attention. He was a small, lanky man known as Goskou, but he was somewhat of a leader to the other Twenty-four of his comrades for his sheer genius and skill with weaponry. What he lacked in size and brute strength, he more than made up for in intelligence and wit. His grey eyes pinned Diya's orange ones in an attempt to will her into his control but he knew she out ranked him in status simply because she was favored by their Queen, Lady Jagura.

"General Goskou." Diya turned to face him. Her platinum blond hair curtained behind her much like her pure white cape. Unlike her generals, her formal armor was made of a white metal that shined like the moon. Her entire ensemble was white, even her hair and skin. Only her haunting, predatory orange eyes glowered in color and when they landed on Goskou, he had to suppress a shiver, knowing that this woman wasn't human, but the wolf his Lady had bonded to in order to receive great powers from the gods above. He did not kid himself into thinking that if given the chance, this traitorous beast that sold her own brethren to the slaughters wouldn't think twice about cutting him down when given a chance or reason to.

The grey-eyed general strode for her, ignoring his slight fear of her. When he passed her shoulder to look over the goods she brought back from their enemy, he made sure his shoulder jabbed her own, not surprised that she didn't move an inch. He then paced down the line of flattering gifts, impressed that she and her men had taken so much in so little time.

"You seem to be taking more from your voyages lately, Captain." He commented, making his way towards the wolves in the cages.

Diya turned on her heels to face him once more, letting her hair dance in her wake with her long cape, "It is not I who saw to that change." She snorted, glaring at the ship, "As I recall, Ellorah is usually the one who takes inventory of my men's missions, and someone put into our objectives 'take anything of value- leave the judgment in value up to the soldier- and then my favorite one- rights of civilians are no longer a concern." She glared at the smug man that made her hackles rise the closer he got to Lauralai's cage. Noting that the young albino female stood up and started backing away to the other side of her small cage, Diya gritted her teeth behind closed lips, watching Goskou's every move as one watches a roach scurry across the floor.

"Nice to see your men keeping up with protocol for once." The general shrugged.

"My MEN had done EVERY task flawlessly without confiscating ANYTHING from civilians!" Diya gripped her fists tighter in effort to hold herself back. She was itching to draw her blade and challenge this man, but she was already on high watch for killing one too many soldiers for bringing back whores to the ship, or women and men they wanted as slaves. Elorrah had been programmed to take into account all deaths of those on board and their cause of deaths and she already knew Jagura would scold her for the number she had already reached. To take out one of precious lackeys would mean that the devil woman would start using Lauralai against her again now that she had returned to the Keep.

Goskou's resounding boot steps stopped in front of the cage filled with freshly caught wolves and he turned to look at her over his shoulder, "I must say, you are something to admire, Diya,"

"It's Captain." Diya glared, feeling almost physically ill if one of these disgusting humans used her chosen wolf name.

Goskou smiled easily and turned his grey eyes back to the wolves that snarled at him in their cages, "In every race of beings, there's always an unspoken rule- to betray one of your own to another of your own is dishonorable. To betray one of your own to another species is death. Yet you're still alive and bringing in fresh blood by the cart load." He quirked a brow when he heard a small whine and noticed a few smaller bodies huddled under the adults in the cage, "Ah, and the victims are getting younger now, are they?"

Diya's heart felt like the dagger that had been wedged into it since she left Sasuske's side dug deeper into her flesh and twisted a little, making it very hard for her to stand tall and firm like she was. She knew the general noticed the shake to her legs as she spread them further to stand more firmly, her hand suddenly on the hilt of her saber in a threat.

"You dare draw against a comrade?" he mocked with a tilt of his head, "And after all I went through just to compliment you? Truly that psyche of yours is something to admire and fear, my lady wolf." A sinister smile poisoned his lips as he lowered his head and glared up at her from beneath strong thick brows, "The talent to be able to change loyalties so fast and have no regrets must be something you worked on since birth, is it not?" his toxic words had bubbled with in the back of many of the rest of the twenty-five, but none had been so bold as to address Captain Diya about it. The other twenty-four stiffened as a sudden apprehension of battle settled between the two warriors.

In an instant, Diya was upon him, her saber drawn and blade ready to cut through his golden and silver plated armor, but his own full blade stopped hers, neatly slicing through her thin saber and scraping against her hard white metallic armor. He was almost surprised when she ignored her broken saber and her had darted out, grasping the tie of his cape around his neck and turning her back into him, knocking him off balance in a fluid movement and heaving him over her head, tossing him with ease back at the other twenty-four generals that watched stunned as the small, helmet-less woman tossed the man, even if he was only a hundred pounds heavier, over her head and sent him flying at them! Diya stood tall as she flicked her hair back behind her again and stared the general down as Goskou scrambled to his feet, unsheathing his second sword and tossing off his own helmet, showing his head of full brown wavy hair that was mused from being under a helmet for so long. Fury evident in his eyes as he stomped forward and held the tip of his secondary sword pointed towards her openly her.

"YOU WILL NOT MAKE A FOOL OF ME, TRAITOR OF WOLVES!" he spat, "I WON'T FALL PREY TO A BEING EVEN MURDEROUS DEVILS REFUSE TO ALLOW TO WALK AMONG THEM!"

"I am no wolf." Diya retorted, gently kneeling down and picking up the full blade he dropped when she took him off guard earlier. She added insult to injury when she refused to use her ungloved hand to touch it and proceeded to wipe it down its clean blade and hilt with her cloak. It was as if she didn't want her naked skin to be infected with any essence of Goskou that may or may not linger on the sword while she merely cleaned imaginary dust off of it.

"You are no human either, bitch!" Goskou snarled, prowling after her once more, intending on doing more than just challenging her authority this time.

"I am neither wolf, nor human!" Diya grimaced as she blocked his full strength blow that he swung from over his head. She held up her borrowed blade just intime to block it with sparks flying as the two connected. Her ears begging the agonizing scrape of metal against metal to stop but she ignored their pleas as she shifted her hips slightly, raising their swords above their heads and trapping him against her body, if he wanted to get her away, he would have to back off and give her sword an opening to strike, same for her. She knew she flustered him with her bold move and knew even more that he wouldn't dare back down, knowing that she would cut him down gladly if he did. With her lips a breath from his own she whispered to him while her glowering orange eyes locked onto his, "I am no traitor. I have no loyalties to a pack of mongrels or your pathetic race. My only reason for existing here is up to my Lady Jagura who has my soul in chains. Do you think that I will let you, or a pack of dogs try and challenge me?" she taunted, letting one of her hands that had been holding her blade snake down and travel into his hair and down his armor tantalizingly.

"You're a demon from hell…" he spat back, panting through clenched teeth and nostrils as he glared down at her, completely unaware of what her objective of that wandering hand was. All he saw was a demonic siren that was lulling him into her web of deadly lust and damn was she good at it. He wanted nothing more than to either gut her, or fuck her.

"Close enough." Diya purred as her second hand tore out her own hidden dagger that was nestled behind her sabers scabbard and plunged the titanium blade through Goskous armor and letting its poisonous blade dig deep into his bowls, jerking it forward a bit so he could feel every little tiny ridge of the blade before those teeth ripped flesh and metal alike as she dragged it back out and shoved his dead weight off of her, then tossed the bloodied dagger on his chest, ignoring the blood that now splattered her ivory armor and the white marble floor. She turned cold eyes towards the remaining twenty-four generals, as if daring another challenge from the terrified humans.

"Any more complaints or compliments?" she cocked a brow. When none were said, she tossed the borrowed blade to the floor as well, "Then next time I find hackers hacking into my Ship's list of order's, you will know what's coming to you." She snorted.

"There was no such Hacker, My Diya." The Generals fell to their right knee and their fists planted to the ground before them as their queen, in her white and royal purple gown with golden and ivory armor appeared behind them from with in the keep.

"Lady Jagura!" they all said her name with such worship that it made Diya hate them even more, but even more so when she felt the same disgusting adoration swell with in her due to that cursed bond she shared with the witch.

Jagura ignored the scrambling fools that groveled at her feet and seemed to glide between them, approaching her favorite, Diya, "My dear Diya." She let her hands gently rise up and grasp the bloodied shoulder armor of her Captain, lovingly, "Your swiftness in success precedes you once again." She looked over all her gifts with an air of royal expectance, "such gifts you bestow me… your goddess smiles on you." She assured with an air of ethereal about her movements.

Diya felt her stomach drop as her body dropped to one knee and her chin tucked to her chest, "For you my Lady." She held out a hand in offering, "I have even brought in a new pack." She gestured to the wolves, "They reined from the Northern Territories."

"And I see that you have returned your little pet?" Jagura glided once more over to Lauralai's cage, inspecting the angry little albino wolf as she bore her little fangs at the woman in warning, "Still has yet to learn her manners has she?"

"A pup, she is, my Lady." Diya offered, quickly moving to stand at Jagura's side, in hopes to stop the Lady from keeping too much of her attention on the adolescent.

"Will you be… ensuring that her escapades stop from now on?" Lady Jagura didn't move to acknowledge her soul-chained servant as she eyed the cowering young she-wolf from behind her mask, "A pure white entity of a wolf. The prophesied wolf is white as well, but our Seers have told me that your pet is not the one. It makes me daydream often about what the REAL white wolf of the Full Moon looks like. Is it as pure as your little flower I wander?"

"Lady Jagura." Diya intervened once more between Jagura and the bars of Lauralais cage, "My Lady, I can assure you I will do what needs to be done so that she won't go gallivanting off again and disturb your peace my Lady." Diya was already thinking of BETTER ways to sneak Laura out of the Keep next time so she wouldn't be caught and her freedom wouldn't be endangered, even as she skillfully promised vague words to her Lady, "I personally will teach her a lesson tonight."

"No." Jagura smiled in a way that seemed gentle, but it made Diya's heart stop in fear, "That won't be necessary, my dear Diya." Jagura turned to face Diya now and it was Laura's turn to look on with fear in her eyes between her friend, Diya and her enemy, Jagura, "I'll have her thrown in her own jail amongst the stockades near the other wolves."

"Not the… the dudgeons my Lady?" Diya tried to keep the plea from her voice.

"You will take her to the Stockades where she will stay for two weeks with one meal a day and two refreshments of water." Jagura ignored her.

Diya turned slowly to look at the terrified Laura helplessly, trying to use her eyes to convey her grieving apology, but Lauralai wasn't looking at her. The albino wolf was pressed against the back of the cave with sightless eyes that were wide in fear as she was already imagining the fate in store for her in the next few weeks.

"Diya..?" Jagura inquired testily when no confirmation came from the blond.

"…Yes." Diya didn't know how she was able to choke back the tears and show no outward signs of her inner turmoil "Yes my Lady. I will take her to the Stockades right away."

There were two places wolves went in Lady Jagura's Keep once they were rounded up and dragged here. One- they were shoved into cells in the Dungeons where they were given scraps the Keep dogs didn't eat and water once every two days, and even that was just a small bucket of rain water set outside the Keep walls to keep rain water from flooding the gardens below.

Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, a third of the wolves were taken out of the Dungeons. Young and strong were the first to go. They left for the stockades at the back of the Jagura's private quarters where one by one, they were taken out of their prisons and drained of their blood in various ways for her dark art ceremonies or their meat was tenderized to be her dinner that night while the blood of their young was warmed to act as her evening whine. No food was given once a wolf entered the stockades and water was once every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday after the chosen one or more were taken away to be slaughtered for their meat or blood.

Lady Jagura had this dreadful place so close because she took comfort in the screams of the wolves dying each night as she sipped on her evening whine and watched the moon and stars above. And when the noises stopped below, she would have Diya sing her to sleep…

Just as Diya was about to personally take Lauralai to where her Mistress had ordered, a hand stopped her on her armored shoulder. Diya's gaze followed the arm up to the metallic mask that hid Jagura's dangerously deceptive beautiful face, holding back a grimace, "My Lady..?" she questioned, unable to stop the tension taking hold of her muscles.

"Where are you going my pet?" Jagura asked in a light voice that held little to no quality most would think a ruler would use on underlings.

Diya's brow furrowed in confusion and she resisted the wolfish urge to tilt her head to the side, "Taking the animal to the stockades, M'am…?" her orange eyes shifted from her Lady towards Lauralai's cage and then back again, uncertain if Jagura had changed her mind. It was unheard of for the genocidal witch to ever change her mind on her prisoners or victims… so what was she playing at now?

"Have your men take the beast and set a guard to care for it while you're away, my dear." Jagura corrected as she looked past Diya to address the –Now twenty-four- Generals, "I want the Elorrah to be refilled and its weapons charged as top priority. There's a potential uprising in Orchems mountainous boarders. I hereby order the Elorrah and its crew to demolish the threat. I won't require any gifts this time either." She glanced back at the small caravan that was being taken into her Keep by a large platoon of house servants, "I'm satisfied for now. Orchem has nothing else to offer me. Not even the Flower." She eyed Diya as she turned to follow her servants inside, watching while her pet stared helplessly as five soldiers rolled away the pups cage, "Is that clear, Diya?"

Diya was silent for a moment. Her arms tightly drawn to the sides of her body, her cape at her back hid her tightly clenched fists from Lady Jagura and Diya had mastered the art of keeping her emotions from being detectable through the bond the witch had forced on her…. To a point.

"Diya…" Jagura's soft, usually pleasantly sultry voice took on a sharper edge of warning.

In one fluid moment, Diya whirled and dropped to one knee. Her cape and hair twirled around her as she lowered her head slightly, ignoring the sickness brewing in her stomach at the show of respect, "Understood my Lady Jagura." She nodded, keeping her head down.

"Good." Jagura sauntered past her bowed pet with a small grin, "If one soul is left alive with out my consent though…. Your precious little beast pup will be served at dinner when you return, my pet."

Diya's heart fell…. There was no way…. Soon as her ears couldn't catch any footsteps of the Mistress any longer, Diya jerked her head up to glare in her direction she had left.

'_She's sending spies to watch me this time…'_ she looked back to her ship, the Elorrah, and sneered. Just as suspected, two of the generals- General Berteir and Hondroh- were boarding her ship with their seconds and a third trusted soldier. Jagura was cutting no corners… which meant this was more than an annihilation mission….

'_Why use TWO generals to watch one captain?' _It made no sense to Diya, but made her all the more tense and uneasy.

One thing was certain though….

Diya had to get Laura out of the Stockades. Jagura didn't say that she would be treated like the rest since it was only punishment for a few weeks, but Diya knew a lie when she saw one. Jagura was once again using Lauralai against Diya to make sure she kept her little servant in line.

She only hoped Laura could hold on until Diya could return…

My…..000000000000999999999999999

Akira pressed herself into a tighter huddle into the small crevice she found in the stone walls of the cave Desmond and his pack took her to. Her back toward the opening, she pulled herself into a tighter curl with a muted whimper, pressing her muzzle into her own gut and tail trying to make herself even smaller to make it that much harder for her harassers to reach her. The large pack numbering in near thirties of all male wolves were clambering over themselves in a mob at the crevice mouth soon as their leader Desmond told her to wait for him while he went further into the den. He gave no other orders to the rest of the pack so they were taking things into their own hands- first come first serve on the female. It hadn't taken long for the lust crazed males to chase the smaller female into the small crevice in the wall of their den. She yelped as the first few snags of claws nicked at her back, following it with a pompous growl that warranted very little concern to the other wolves. Another paw swatted at her back, and another, then another. She could hear grunts and growls of irritation as some of the males tried reaching her with their fangs to try and drag her out. Akira felt the fur beneath her eyes dampen as a few tears escaped down her cheeks as she realized they weren't going to back down until they'd pried her out. The rush of their movements, the nicks and the nips of their teeth and claws, the sound of their frustration and the god awful smell she couldn't place that radiated off them… she started to shake in fear. She pulled herself closer together in a fetal position, not knowing what else to do but to brace herself. She whimpered softly to herself in desperation and wishing she had just followed Kiba's lead and run off with the others.

"How DARE you!" a furious roar struck through the chaos of the den, nearly halting all movement of the crazed pack. A yelp of pain felt like nails on a chalkboard just before a resounding crush of flesh and bone being slammed into unyielding rock cracked in her ears and then a dull thud of the body hitting the floor and then all movement, all sound was gone but the growling warning rumbling deep with in the alpha's chest as he stared down the rest of his pack, commanding their obedience and was immediately given every wolfs full attention.

"Don't _any of you_ touch one HAIR on her body." He ordered sharply as his piercing eyes drifted from his pack to where a small bit of red fur was visible in the tiny crevice of the wall. It was just small enough that none of his pack could squeeze into it, but the small female was barely big enough to use it for protection. He could smell her terror easily from across the cavern and the sizzling spice of delight it brought to him tugged a leisurely lopsided grin to his fanged muzzle as he swaggered towards her through the crowd of his pack.

Akira still shook with terror even after the nips and prods stopped at the sharp command of the Alpha, too afraid to understand that she was in the clear for now. Her pinned down ears perked when she heard his approach just outside her small safe haven and she held her breath, stilling her uncontrollable shivers for just a moment. At the gentlest of touches, he softly nuzzled her exposed back, startling her into jumping and ramming her head into the stone above her with a _THUNK,_ wrenching a pained yelp and hiss as pain surged momentarily in her skull.

"Just please go away!" Akira whined.

"Aww, Come on there, Bitch," Desmond said the insult like it was a pet name, "You can get on out here now. No one'll mess with ya." His deep voice promised security, but it was anything but comforting. When she didn't respond right away, Desmond's fur started to ruffle a bit in irritation, "Oi! Hey Bitch! Come on out!" he lowered his head to her again to try and grab on of her legs and pull her out but Akira kicked him squarely in the muzzle soon as she felt his hot breath on her leg.

"I said GO AWAY!" she yelped, just as surprised she had kicked him as he was!

Desmond jerked back, twitching his snout to work out the smarting sting of pain that surged through it. His ears pinned back as his tail raised, now getting furious with her, "I don't recall ASKING if you WANTED to stay in there!" she whined in pain when his jaws dug into the skin just above her tail and yanked her out roughly. When she tried to scramble back for shelter, his hind paw slammed onto her tail to root her in place- under him.

"OW!" Akira hissed as she gritted her teeth in pain, "You know, you don't have to bite so hard or stomp like that!" she growled out before she could catch herself. Her growl quickly chocked back to a yelp when she realized what she did and she stared wide-eyed and afraid up at the amused leader.

He made sure to invade her personal space as he practically stood over her nose to nose and forcing her lean down further into the earth, "Then obey your alpha bitch," he said in that low voice that made her want to snarl in revulsion.

"It's _AKIRA._" She corrected, unable to stop the rebellious streak this time as the fur on her scruff started to rise a bit.

"A _bitch _is a bitch until they're dead." He snorted indifferently before lowering his head to her shoulder and rolling her over to her stomach again since she had twisted on her back to glare at him earlier, "Get going," then nudged her butt to get her up and going again, startling her again.

"Hey hey hey!" she eeped, spooked away, prancing sideways to get her backend away from reach, "Just where are we going?" her immediate answer was another light head butt, this time in her abdomen as the large wolf seemed to simply nudge her where he wanted her to go like a mother cow nudged her calf.

"The back of the Den, where you belong." Akira's ears easily picked up the snickers and light hoots and howls of Desmonds pack as he herded her through their numbers. Desmond's low warning growl cut any harassment off, so at least he was good for something… he did say they wouldn't mess with her anymore….

'_I'm still getting an uneasy feeling about him… what does he want with females anyways?' _she naively thought, glancing back at him

"What's the difference from back there and here?" Akira asked obliviously, but something told her that nothing good was going to come out of going back there…

The large dark brown wolf grinned wolfishly at her while his hazel eyes leered over her form once more, "You'll see, little one…"

"There you are," Hige smirked as he took in a deep whiff of the scent near the small spring of water they had been chased off from earlier. The four male wolves had left Heart and Cheza at a safe den closer to the other side of the forest with the unscented flowers hanging over the opening of the fallen tree trunk to ward off any threats of predators. Toboe had volunteered to stay behind but Tsume shot down the decision. They were going into a pack filled with rowdy males who had snapped at each other for Akira, who was 'claimed' by their leader. They would target Heart by a landfall. Needless to say, Heart hadn't been the most understanding of his … rather blunt explanation. In the end, he had to wrestle the riveting, angry she-wolf to the ground while Cheza lulled her to sleep with her gentle coaxing touch and soft song.

"You spotted the den?" Toboe's ears perked up hopefully.

"Not the den, the unscented flowers have been near that too long and the wolves for much scent to remain, but I do smell the trace of lunar flower on Akira," Hige admitted.

Kiba and Tsume both sniffed out the air to try and gage what Hige told them. Kiba sighed lightly in relief at being able to finally smell her scent again. He was on edge since they left her in the care of that hazel-eyed bastard a few hours ago. He couldn't shake the memory of how she bravely stood where she was while he could tell she was scared beyond belief while they left her with those wolves…. Or the sight of how hurt she looked at him when he left her…. He couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of guilt when he thought of those sad, sad eyes.

"Well look at that," Tsume grinned cheekily, "I smell that sweet scent too! Well done, porky" Tsume actually commented… slightly, "So what's the plan?" he and the others turned to Kiba as one, waiting their 'leaders' orders.

Kiba's human teeth elongated to wolf fangs as his voice became rough and harsh with fury, "There isn't one. We storm the damn place and take her back. Any resistance: kill'em. They're a big pack." He smirked as he reverted to his white wolf form. His white fur stood on end as his muzzle was in a dangerous snarl.

"I like the sound of that." Tsume eyed the young wolf near his side and his grin turned sinister, "Why don't you even give them a warning howl, kid? Get some of the weaker _pups_ of that pack a bit of a scare…"

Toboe tilted his head confused. Why would he howl to alert their enemy? He turned towards Kiba and Hige for an explanation, Hige grinned mischievously and explained.

"Think of it as a delayed bitch slap to the face. The pack won't actually call our threat since our numbers are puny compared to theirs, but they'll regret it when we get there!"

Toboe shrugged and threw back his head and let loose a low howl, trying to make it as threatening as possible. Soon he was joined with Kiba and Tsume, and finally Hige's tenor brought the howling to an all out chilled ring in the forest as the cool wind blasted through the trees for a brief moment. And then Kiba was on the move, the others following his example and reverted to wolf form before silently following their noses toward the trace of female wolf and lunar flower, all at breakneck speed.

_**!**_

Jasper stopped in his easy lope instinctively to asses the battle cry of a young wolf deep in the forest he was nearly out of. The silver wolf tilt his head this way and that.

"Didn't think I pissed anyone off THAT much by taking a dump near that dead tree…." He huffed, turning towards the noise, mildly interested. He had previously thought this place dead other than Akira's group….

"Akira?" his eyes widened.

It couldn't be…. Was Akira with that howl? There were others with it so it was defiantly a pack of them in on the threat…. But all those voices were male. No gentle sweet melody of his sisters' howl was present in that battle cry.

Jasper took a few steps forward. A sense of something horrible about to happen was eating away at his gut and shot adrenaline through his veins.

"This had better be good…." Jasper bolted, darting around dead trees towards the center of the forest, where there was life and… wolves.

A new scent hit him as he ran, though. Nothing natural gave off the stench of exhaust though, or excess burnt plasma either…. Jasper looked up towards where he knew the village was crawling with Orchems men. Darcia had him patrol that area a bit earlier, but all he saw were some dull-witted soldiers and had continued on.

"Jagura's in on this too?" he snared.

"How long are we gonna stay in this crack pot town?" a young soldier whined to the others around him sitting in the bar at the small town beneath the Darcia clan ruins, "The doc said there's no trace of the target on the scanners when she was actually here, and now she's gone off somewhere! We haven't seen her for about 3 days or so! Then we find that those punks' tracks lead into the forest of Death, and now all we're doing is sitting her twiddling our thumbs and getting out asses drunk!"

"Colonel ain't given us any orders yet. He's convinced that they'll come out sooner or later and he's sent an alert to a base on the other side of the forest. So all we can do is wait it out. And who says getting ass drunk is a bad thing?" another soldier that out ranked the first gurgled a bit as he chugged yet another beer down with a blissful sigh.

"Nothing wrong with it, is suppose, but it's the highlight of the day around here and to me that's just sad" the younger inferior shrugged.

"Take a picture, kid, the life of a soldier ain't all's cracked up to be." Yet another soldier said 'wisely'.

A rumble from outside made all the drunken men pause a moment. The bartender looked up from where he dried off the shot glass behind the counter to look suspiciously out the window as yet another rumble came and went, "I didn't know a thunder storm was in the forecast…" he said curiously.

The door shot open and a sergeant gasped for breath as he stumbled in, his uniform dirty, and a bit bloody, but otherwise, he himself wasn't injured. Just petrified to death.

"THE BASE IS UNDER ATTACK! JAGURA'S TROOPS'R HERE!" he gasped out.

"WHAT IN THE FUCKING HELLS?" the oldest of the 4 soldiers sitting down stood up just before his comrades followed in suit, shocked.

"We're under attack?"

"AN AIRSHIP ROLLED IN A FEW MINUTES AGO! THE SCANNERS WERE FRIED SOON AS THEY REGESTERD IN RANGE SO WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THEY'D COME FROM!" the frantic sergeant panted.

"EVERYONE, BACK TO BASE!" the soldier shouted.

"DOES THE COMMANDER KNOW?"

The sergeant shook his head, "I don't know! He took a platoon into the woods this morning to scout it out more!" he followed the others as they ran pass him toward the base. They weaved their way through the screaming crowd of citizens that were running in fear from the area the air ship was attacking. Tremor after tremor was shocking through the earth as loud blast from bombs and laser attacks hailed the base, the soldiers could see the enormous air ship hovering over the city, even if it wasn't the larges out there, it was still a good size to be feared! As they neared the base, the attack suddenly stopped and the air was clear of any nose or weapon.

"What's happening?" one of the men gasped while they ran onward.

"How should I know?"

They abruptly stopped when they came to where the base once was. All that was left was a trench in the earth. Body parts were charred and strewn everywhere.

"Oh…. My ….. God…" the sergeant whispered.

On the other side of the totaled camp, the soldiers spotted the commander and the platoon of 15 men with him staring in disbelief at the trench their comrades once called home for a while. A soldier next to him looked up to see the airship making its way over the forest, "It's leaving…"

"IT FUCKING SHOULD LEAVE!" the commander hissed through clenched teeth as he tried to keep his rage in check, "IF THEY WERE TO COME OUT OF THAT SCRAP METAL TANK, I'D KILL'EM MYSELF!" he snarled up at the airship, "IT'S HEADED FOR THE FLOWER!"

"The flower's our mission, isn't it? Shouldn't we go after them?"

"NO." the commander growled, "earlier this morning we got a transmission saying they spotted Jagura's men trespassing our countries lands. We thought they were just a caravan, but they attacked the city. Once they found out the flower missing, they probably followed us…. But this is just one air ship. That must mean that our city, FREECITY must be still under attack. We'll fall back and take back what's ours."

"SIR!" the other soldiers saluted.

The commander huffed irritated and held out his hand, "I need my coffee now Private Jones…." No coffee came, "Jones…?" he looked around curiously with one brow raised in question, "Where's Jones?"

"Milady," Elorrah appeared at the white-caped captain of the airship's side with all the grace of a French waiter.

"Report…" she sighed as she massaged her temples watching the mayhem take place below on the big surveillance screens of the ship.

"We have taken in a survivor, M'am."

"Then show him to me." She tossed a hand sarcastically at the illusion of the ships 'personality'.

A very confused man zapped into view, startling both himself and Diya nearly to death! Diya took a step back and nearly tripped over her cape in her surprise as she took in the sight of the obviously battle-bruised and soiled man who was tied up with her army's beam bindings and metallic collars that were more or less shock collars on steroids.

"Elorrah!"

"Yes Milady?" Elorrah appeared at her side again as she fumed in her fury, clenching her fists at her side.

"What did I tell you about beaming people at me!"

"You told me not to, but you never did save that in my automatic commands file…" Elorrah replied.

"For the love of the moon." She sighed under her breath with a curse, then turned on her prey.

"Look, boy," she shoved him to the floor with a mere shove of her heel on his shoulder, nearly knocking the breath out of him. Humans were still very tender even with that high-tech armor they liked to think of as protection…

"If you tell me what I want to know, I'll let you run free to do as you please, got it? If not, I'll just have to drop you off the plank, as I like to call it." She threatened nonchalantly.

"She means toss you out the cargo bay," Elorrah elaborated.

"Elorrah…" Diya warned with a stressed vein pulsing at her temple again.

"Milady?"

"Sleep mode."

"But,"

"NOW!"

"…..beep…" and with that the young 'man' was gone.

"Now, as I was saying," she turned to the now very confused man on the floor staring at her like one would a goddess of death as they beg for her mercy, "What'll it be?" she looked down at her wrist as if she had on a wrist watch, "Oh and I'm not very patient, so I'll give you only a minute, which is generous actually."

"Wolves!" the man blurted out, "We were here to track down a flower thing and we found wolves!" he didn't need to be told twice, this man was groveling at her feet almost. He was so pathetic in his need to stay alive that it made her almost sick to see him like this.

"Wolves?" she tilted her head.

"Yeah! The Scientist lady said that the flower thing was with the wolves!" he nodded vigorously.

"Cheza's with the wolves now?" that was news… something Jagura would either be ecstatic to hear about or…. Extremely angry, "Tell me where they are."

"I don-,"

"You will tell me where they went," her blade was drawn and held point to his throat, lightly pressed against his skin for reassurance, "Or you will have lost your value, and I will kill you and use you for wolf bait."

"F…f-f-f-Forest." He yelped.

"Good boy." She didn't let her blade or guard drop as she rattled off a command code to reboot Elorrah.

"You called, Milady?" Elorrah appeared with a graceful bow.

"Set the sensors in motion for wolves. There's some nearby, and while you're at it, make sure to scan for lunar energy. The flower is close too."

"Yes Captain." Elorrah nodded and disappeared.

"Wha-What about me?" The foot soldier was panting in fear.

"I told you, I would release you." Diya made a quick slice and jab with her wrist holding onto her thin saber and stepped back from the pool of blood now at her feet. Her heels clicking as she turned on them and left the room to go to the bridge of her ship and command her troop, "Elorrah, arrange one of the maids to clean up the blood in section fifteen, will you?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Out of my WAAAAY!" Kiba roared fiercely as he barreled into three wolves that banded together and latched on tightly as he hurled himself at them. Their sharp fangs and razor claws dug into his flesh, as they pressed heavy weight into him to over power the white, bloodied wolf. Kiba's paw slipped from under him and the three dragged him to the ground.

"._**FUCK**_!OFF!" He ground his diamond-hard fangs into one his attackers legs, snapping the flesh and bone in two with a resound _**CRASNAP!**_ Noise and a howl of all consuming pain. But Kiba wasn't done with him yet! With his fangs still latched on, he threw the beast off him and rammed his skull into the belly of one of the surprised wolves that gawked in disbelief that their friend was tossed off as easily as a rag doll. Kiba managed to fight the others off with enough ferocity that other wolves backed off from him a bit, scared that he would take their life just like he savagely had done to the three idiots that challenged him.

"This isn't working!" Hige called over from where he was forced back to back with Toboe to fend for themselves, "Soon as we tear one apart, another shows up!" he snarled and raised a clawed paw in the air to smack down another aerial attack made by yet another set of snapping lethal jaws attached to a brainless pile of fur.

"Then only one of us should take the next break in the pack! Akira can't hold out much longer!" Toboe called to the others while he bared his fangs at the wolves closing in on him and Hige.

"I haven't seen their leader around! He must have her imprisoned somewhere deeper in the den!" Tsume grimaced when a set of bloodied teeth sunk into his shoulder. He retaliated by clamping down onto the wolfs' throat and locked his jaws to crush the wind pipe, freeing himself from the now dead wolf just as two more wolves took the fallen comrades place.

"THERE!" Hige shouted when he spotted a small passageway further into the cave, "I can smell her scent the strongest that way!"

"Alright then," Kiba started making his way for the passage way, dodging the attacks aimed at him and gaining speed, "I'm on it!" he called to the others, but slid to a halt however, when a quicker wolf of the pack cut him off his path and wasted no time lunging at his throat with a roar of anger!

Kiba jerked back in time, just shy of being bitten, but another wolf was waiting and made an attack from the side, latching onto Kiba's back, forcing him to his side with a howl of pain while teeth and claws dug into his skin. The dark wolf held him down with his weight while he ripped his fangs away, tearing flesh right off Kiba's body and causing new wounds to stain Kiba's white fur red with his own blood as well as others now. Golden eyes glared up at the wolf with a snarl and snap of his fangs threateningly while he watched his own blood drip out of the wolfs' mouth when the wolf reared up to strike his throat to kill.

"If I have to save your ass one more time-!" A silver blur rammed the dark wolf that held Kiba's life by a thread. Kiba watched in awe as the enemy flew in the air and slammed into the wall of the cave, making an imprint in the rocks. A harsh, cool muzzle was working its way under his good side, trying to urge him on his feet, "Seriously, You're the one I left my sister in the care of?"

"Wha…who-," Kiba stared in shock at the slightly familiar wolf, but the wild glare of a green-and-blue-eyed wolf stopped him instinctively in his tracks.

"DAMN YOU, SNOWFLAKE, GET YOUR ASS MOVING AND _**GO GET HER!**_" the silver wolf snarled frustrated as he snapped his razor sharp fangs at Kiba for emphasis, which Kiba took as an initiative to get the hell out of there!

Kiba scrambled to his feet and took off again, once more dodging the other wolves while his friends covered him if an attack got too close. He leaped up in the air to avoid a block off the other wolves created and landed in front of the entrance to the passageway with a large, snarling wolf protecting it with fangs bared.

"Stand aside!" Kiba snarled as he stalked up to the wolf. The large wolf was more muscularly built than Kiba and had rich brown fur, it looked more bear like than wolf. Its dull yellow eyes watched the white wolf's every move while Kiba approached.

Soon as he was with in range, the bear-like wolf attacked with all the force of a semi-truck going down hill too fast. Kiba faked to the left and ducked under the large wolf's right leg, attacking the underside of its chest. Bear-wolf howled in pain and slapped at Kiba to get him off. Kiba was knocked away with knife like claws slashing his belly, yet another wound to add to his growing number of them. He snarled and lunged at the wolf's throat before the larger wolf could get its bearings, ripping the windpipe out completely and then jumped away before the gasping wolf hit the ground.

Panting in exertion Kiba took one last look at his pack to see if they were doing alright in the frenzied battle. Tsume covered for the less experienced Hige and Toboe, and Kiba was proud to see the three of them acting as one team watching out for one another, but that Silver Wolf was still there, fighting along side them. Kiba's friends didn't seem to mind an extra paw, but this wolf still alarmed Kiba….

With one last reassuring glance at his friends, Kiba entered the small passageway just as Tsume, Toboe, Hige, and the silver jumped into action soon as they noticed he had left, and positioned themselves to defend the entry way from any other wolves looking to follow Kiba….

Akira was hounded through the small passage way roughly, until she had finally HAD it! She gave a frustrated little huff when he seemed to pause for a moment near an opening in the tunnel while she caught her breath, though he still crowded close to her. She glared at the huge male rough handling her and then turned behind her, peering through the entryway to another smaller cavern. Unlike the main one that was stone all around besides the roof, which was open to the sky, this one was closed in and dark. She could barely see in the darkness since she was so used to light. She felt the Desmond saunter up along side her body, making sure she felt the brush of his powerful body next to hers. She let loose a warning growl with out even realizing it when she felt him approach her from behind. She instantly found teeth latched around the scruff of her neck in retaliation and was tossed across the small cavern, like a scrap of meat for the omega's. She rolled and lost balance as she tried to stand up again from the uneven ground only to find herself laying in a shallow dug nest in the ground. The ground inside the dent of the ground was padded with soft moss and fur. She couldn't tell much since she could only see outlines of things. She started to push herself up again only to feel her back bump into a furred chest. She peered up above her meekly, realizing that furred chest had a face: Desmond loomed over her with glowing hazel eyes looking down at her with hunger. He was already enjoying having her cowered beneath him and started to get high off the flowery scent she held as it spiked with sudden fear.

"Where do you think you're off to, bitch?" he lowered his nose to press against hers', but she jerked it out of reach as she tried to scramble from underneath him.

"Out from under you, at least." She grunted as her small stature proved useless when she tried to push him off, but he wouldn't budge, "Hey, lemme up!" she started to panic as she felt him crowd her again, pressing his body into hers.

"Not a chance." He lowered his head once again so his torso was bent down toward her, "Bitch needs to learn her place in the pack: under your alpha!"

Akira tried again to get him off by bucking rapidly underneath him, but she was small even for a female! He chuckled while her struggle became more frantic, twisting and turning under him to try and get away. Akira was pinned firmer when she twisted onto her back and tried to push him away with her paws, but stilled in a terrifying moment as she felt his lower half start to descend toward her own to pin her in that position and stop her struggling.

"I SAID GET OFF!" she yelped up at him in fear, kicking her hind paws up at him in a sudden burst of desperation, managing to snag his sensitive under belly with her claws. He yelped and instinctively bounded away from her with a snarl as he rolled to his side.

"BITCH!" his jaws snapped his fangs together menacingly as he prepared to pounce her again.

Akira screamed and scrambled to her feet. Back-pedaling away from him while he approached her, she looked around for something she could use against him and ended up kicking the dirt and sand of the floor up at him and into his eyes to blind him for a few moments. He hissed in frustration and his paws rubbed at his face to try and get the sand out of his eyes while she darted away. He blocked her escape route since he was between her and the exit she so desired. She spotted a small opening between a boulder and the floor where the boulder was propped up by few other rocks. She quickly wiggled under the boulder and stared the small opening in fear while the larger wolf looked around for her.

"Playing hide and seek now?" the wolf snarled, "You know I can smell you bitch! That heavenly lunar flower scent is still strong enough to get me hard as hell. You really don't think it won't lead me right to you?"

Akira tried to burry herself deeper into the tight hidey-hole, thankful for her small size for once. Her orange eyes fearfully followed Desmond's shadowy shape in the dark as he stalked around the room, hearing exactly where she is from her heavy panicked breathing. Her heart thundered in her chest when she realized he was no longer with in her line of sight and she felt the boulder above her rock over to the side. Her heart caught in her throat when she twisted around and started to back pedal away from the large form of the dominating male grinning down at her.

"Peek-a-boo!" he grinned, "I found you!" cackling he lunged for her as she scrambled away. His teeth sunk into the scruff of her neck and held her captive against his larger body while she clawed at the ground.

"No!" she screamed, trying to claw her way from him. She tried bucking him off, but he just shoved more of his weight into her till he had her pinned to the ground. Akira struggled under his mass, unable to breathe very well with him overpowering her so easily, "Lemme go!" she pleaded, "Stop this! Please!"

"You're making this harder than it has to be, bitch!" he grunted, taking advantage of the few seconds she collapsed exhausted to catch her breath. Desmond used his front paws to shift her under him and prop up her hind end to him, prepping her for his entrance, "Now just be a good bitch and stay still and moan for me," the alpha wolf started humping, stabbing his member at her rump to try and sink into her fleshy femalehood.

Akira burst to life, "NO!" she scrambled to get away from him, but his teeth were latched firmly into her scruff and large front paws clamed in an iron grip around her center. So she bucked her hips away from his to keep him from successfully slipping in.

"God damn it!" he hissed in frustration, "BE STILL!"

"NO!" She screamed in terror, "Somebody HELP ME!"

"Nobodies commin, but you an me, Bitch," Desmond chuckled darkly with his mouth full of fur and blood from his teeth ripping into her flesh trying to force her still.

"AHHH, Noooo!"She howled in pain, "No! PLEASE! KIIIIIBAAAAAAAAAA!"

Kiba's ears perked up while he sped through the passageways, trying to follow Akira's scent when he heard her scream his name.

"Akira?" his wolf golden eyes searched wildly for an opening in the dark tunnel that might lead him towards her. Her scream bounced too much and he couldn't detect which way it came from other than forward. Her blood burned in his nostrils as he sucked in precious oxygen to breathe and dug his claws in deeper into the ground to push him into wider strides.

"AKIRA!" He called out, "HOLD ON! I'M COMING!"

"KIBA!" She cried out again, and he could tell tears were streaming down her face just from the horrified tone she called out in. again, the sound did little to direct him and he was getting frustrated.

"I'M COMING!" he called out again, unsure if she actually heard him. The scent of the flower and Akira's blood became stronger and stronger, reassuring him that he was on the right track. He could tell her scent was concentrated in a spot up ahead and saw the faint out line of a cavern mouth, knowing she was in there. The white wolf slowly slid to a stop with wide golden eyes that quickly adjusted to the darkness of the cavern. What he saw made his heart drop and blood boil in rage.

Akira was hunched under the form of the large leader of the pack struggling feebly, and yelping in pain from the tightening of the fangs embedded at the back of her neck. Blood stained the light red fur of her neck a sickening rustic dark red as Desmond spooned over her back with his hind legs pressed into her rump as he humped trying to mate her. He was too distracted to realize Kiba was even in the room yet since he finally slipped the head of his malehood in and howled in glory, pulling back for another thrust in.

That was all it took to push Kiba over the edge, "I'LL FUCKIN RIP YOU APAR-," a blast over head was the only warning the wolves got before a red laser shot through the roof and sucked the roof completely off and threw Desmond off Akira. An eerie sonic high sound pierced their ears just as an airship was visible from where it loomed overhead.

"NOBLES!" Kiba snarled. His eyes widened when he recognized the way the lasers circled around the newly uncovered area; they were going to destroy this place!

"AKIRA!" he shouted just before the earth was struck with multiple lasers that dug it up and marred it permanently with scars of their power.

Kiba was thrown against the wall in the debris, just short of being struck down himself. He shook his head of the dizziness and frantically looked around the destroyed cavern, "AKIRA!" he called out more desperately.

"K-Kiba!" she coughed in return. His eyes followed her voice and found her pinned still beneath the now dead form of the large wolf that had tried to rape her. His body had cushioned her from the debris knocked down from the ceiling.

Not a moment later, another streamline of lasers struck the ground near Akira, "KIAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she screamed terrified.

"I'M ALMOST THERE! JUST HANG ON!" Kiba struggled around the fallen rocks and debris to get to her.

"HURRY!" she sobbed back.

Kiba glanced up when the lasers retreated, their sensors not picking up any movement from their point of concentration on the other side of Akira, so they hadn't picked his movements up yet. He could hear other attacks behind him and knew the others were being attacked. Without a second glance, the white wolf darted forward, dodging the sudden hail of laser attacks again. He slammed his body against the dead wolf that had shielded Akira from the attacks to free her from her imprisonment and nudged her with his muzzle to get up.

"Kiba," Akira sniveled as she struggled to her shaky feet, "I'm-I'm-I'm scared," she stammered.

"You're gonna be fine from now on, ok?" Kiba reassured, receiving a shivering nod in reply, "Alright, now run for the passage way and don't stop until you get pass the spring! GO, GO, GO!" he spurred her forward as they both ran through the passageway. Just before they entered the main den, a laser beam struck right in front of Akira and she was thrown back against him.

"You Okay?" she quickly got off him when he grunted in pain.

"HURRY BEFORE IT CAVES IN!" he shouted at her.

"Uh-oooo-Okay!" she yelped and only momentarily hesitated before darting under the falling rocks with her white savior behind her. Like she was told, she didn't stop until she saw the spring come into view. She ran pass the cries of wolves being blow apart, pass the sounds of lasers striking the ground around her, pass the debris that flew all around her, she didn't stop just as Kiba told her not to. The sight scared her so bad that she closed her eyes tightly as she ran and tried to block out the horrifying sight around her as she pumped her legs faster and faster.

And then, the sounds seemed to fade gradually till all she heard was the sounds of her and Kiba's paws striking the earth as the ran into the safety of the forest. It all seemed like nothing else existed…. Until-

"AKIRA! YOU'RE-OOMPH!" Akira barreled into Toboe since she wasn't looking where she was going as they approached the spring, shoving the younger wolf and herself unintentionally into the cool water of the spring with a large SPLASH!

When they resurfaced, Akira gasped for breath upon breaching the water in human form once more like the rest had chosen to revert to when Toboe's arms glomped around her neck in a fierce hug.

"YOU'RE ALRIGHT!" he cried out, "WE WERE ALL SO WORRIED AND YOU- THEN WE- WHY'D YOU…..!" he just couldn't seemed to get the words out, "YOU WORRIED US YA KNOW!"

"What were you thinking going into a den like that?" Hige admonished like a mother hen, "Do you realize how much trouble you got us all into?"

"We were all prepared to fight in the beginning, you know. You didn't really do us any real favors by trading yourself over to them for our free passage. We had to fight them anyways to get your sorry ass back!" Tsume snorted while she pried herself away from Toboe's grasp and swam to the shore and started to hoist herself up, shivering now that her leather jacket and thick hair were sopping wet.

"L-Look I'm sorry," She apologized panting for air as she started to lift herself out of the water, "I….I just… Just couldn't let any of you get hurt ok?" she tucked her ruby red bangs back behind her ear nervously and looked down, unwilling to meet her friends worried gazes. However, she noticed that when she looked down, instead of seeing her own pair of shoes, she saw Kiba's too and quickly looked up, almost falling back in the water she was so startled by how close he was to her and how quickly too!

"You didn't 'want anyone to get hurt'? DID THAT INCLUDE AVOIDING GETTING RAPED? THAT FUCKING ASSHOLE HAD HIS DICK HALF WAY UP YOUR ASS WHEN I FOUND YOU! AND YOU DIDN'T WANT ANYONE TO GET ELSE _**HURT!**_?" he shouted at her livid! His wild blue eyes were an electric blue with anger and his fists were clenched at his sides while his stance forced her to look him in the eye.

Suddenly, she felt falling back into the freezing water would feel warmer than the mood that suddenly dropped a few hundred degrees below zero when the others learned of just how compromising a position Kiba had found Akira in.

"I-I said I was sorry, Ok? All I thought of was getting all of us out of there scrape free!" she defended.

"DID YOU INCLUDE YOURSELF AS 'SCRAPE-FREE' WHEN YOU PLANNED ON TRADING YOURSELF FOR THEM? WHAT ELSE WOULD THEY USE AN UNCLAMED FEMALE FOR BESIDES FUCKING!" he reprimanded harshly. Now he was really venting his feeling on her through anger.

"HOW WAS I TO KNOW THAT'S HOW THINGS WERE RUN THAT WAY IN THE WILD!" she shouted back, standing taller now and not cowering away from Kiba any more, glaring right back at him in the face.

"Get used to it! That's the way things are run between males and females of your breed!" he growled at her, "It's a harsh world out here girl, and it doesn't wait for pleasantries!"

"I KNOW!" Akira's voice cracked, "I know now that that's how Desmonds world works but I didn't think that's how ALL THE WORLD works! Do you realize how scared I was? I never asked to get raped, you know! I DIDN'T THINK ANYONE WOULD ASK FOR THAT!"

"The way Desmond was is the way most wolves are!" Kiba was dead serious, not wanting to sugar coat anything anymore, "They take what they want when they want. It's how we survived."

Orange eyes glimmered in unshed tears as she gritted her teeth. The other three wolves silently watched, not wanting to interfere between the two way argument while the silence drag on for a moment that felt like years to everyone present, "You don't treat me like the way he did…." She whispered, "How can you say that Desmond is how all wolves are?"

"That's different." Kiba's voice only slightly softened, but he was still angry with her for being so naïve and getting into serious trouble.

"He said that a 'bitches place is always below her alpha'…. The only thing I know of 'alpha' is the leader of the pack…. Or the one whom I am mated to." Her voice sounded like she had been kicked into submission, yet it really wasn't far from what happened to her, "Does that mean it's different with you because you're just my leader?"

Kiba's eyes widened a moment at her words, 'just her leader….?' Why didn't that feel right? Why was he suddenly feeling a need to show her that wasn't what their relation was at all- that it was more…. Meaningful?

"Don't get me wrong, Desmond and I are worlds apart, but the fact that he takes what he wants as an Alpha is the same. I am not this packs Alpha and will never treat you like he did even if I was. You know that's not how our pack is run. There is no leader." He said to her before silently walking away from where she looked up at him confused and hurt, "Let's go. Heart and Cheza are waiting for us and Cheza doesn't have moon light for food,"

Akira stood a moment where she was while the others hesitantly looked from her to Kiba before following the white wolf back to the fallen tree on the other end of the forest.

"Then why do you still hurt me when you said that….?" She whispered with a sad sigh before following them resignedly.

"Lady Jagura!" a young male servant approached the noblewoman leader who wore armor-like clothing and robes with a graceful helmet that concealed her face from others eyes. She turned her head to the side to indicate that she was listening whilst her back was to him as she sat on her elegant velvet sofa sipping on a type of red liquid in a crystal glass she held delicately, "The airship, Elorrah, has returned!"

"Diya's back?" her sultry voice purred sensuously as she twisted a bit to face him better, "So soon? Has she brought me my flower?"

"Forgive me, milady…. The flower has escaped, as it wasn't found among the wolves bodies after the 'flush out'." He bowed low at the waist.

"I see…" Lady Jagura mused. She turned fully to face the guard, "Where is Captain Diya now?"

"She… she's near the barracks, milady." The young man still bowed at the waist, slightly afraid to look up now.

"Near the barracks…." She seemed to toss an idea in her head as her purple painted lips pursed in thought.

"Shall… Shall I got fetch her, milady?"

"No, that'll be all." Jagura raised a hand with her palms pointed down, "I can summon her on my own." She smiled, "We have this… bond you see."

"Bond?"

"Observe," Jagura reached with in her spirit and sought out the blood bond she had forged with in the female canine, '_Diya, hear my call. Come to me,_' she prayed silently as her body glowed a faint red.

"Lady…J-Jagura?" the servant was spooked, backing away slowly from his glowing mistress.

"You called?" Diya's sudden appearance startled a screech out of the servant. Diya's dangerous orange eyes darted to him, "And you're still here….. because?"

"Y-Yes milday." He bowed hurriedly again and rushed out.

Jagura arched a brow, "You didn't need to frighten him off my pet."

"You were going to send him away all the same, Milady Jagura." Diya shrugged, uncrossing her arms and pushing away from the doorframe to walk into the room, "What do you need of me?"

"I hear that while on your mission you ran into wolves with my flower," Jagura started off.

"Yes, but Cheza got away with them. The Elorrah couldn't catch up with them since we had to fend off attacks from Orchems men."

"And the wolves? Did you kill them all?"

Diya didn't hesitate to reply, "No. Most of them, yes, but we managed to salvage about ten more wolves. They are in the holding barracks now."

"Excellent." Jagura started to approach Diya and circle around her like a cat did with its favorite cat toy, " Soon, the flower will be drawn here eventually. If not on its own, then those wolves shall help it along the way….. And bringing with it, my dear Diya…." Jagura smile seemed almost snake-like now walked over to the left wall and gazed longingly up at the large portrait of a young man her heart longed for. His blue eyes and dark hair stood out from the white robes he adorned in the painting, "With them shall come my beloved Darcia at last….,"

The mere thought of what was to come had the noble woman wrapping her arms around herself, imagining it was Darcia that held her, "Sing for me, dear Diya. Let me hear your wolfs song one more time while we dance in the moonlight. Won't you join me, my dear?" she cooed.

Diya gritted her teeth, not wanting to let this mad woman hear her kinds sacred songs but her blood bond was resilient against her. She parted her full peach lips and started to sing in a soft soprano voice.

'Princess, Princess

Why do you cry?

For in the time of the setting sun

The moon shall rise

With it paradise

My princess, sweet princess

The moon shall rise

And then to paradise.'

She sang sweetly the lullaby, feeling the power of her people's connection to the moon. She felt so spirited when she sang that she almost forgot she was a prisoner in her own body by her own blood that connected her to this witch, Jagura.

"That's right, dear Diya! SING!" Jagura praised while she stared to twirl around in place with her cape and long golden hair fluttering in her wake as she turned around over and over in her dance, just in step with the beat of the song.

"Dance with me," she whispered softly, knowing her wolf blood companion would hear her. Jagura held out her hands for the woman to take in her own and the twirled around together while now they both sung the ancient song of the moon…..

"Man, would ya look at that moon!" Hige took in a deep breath, "It's just a day away till the full moon, but I already feel GREAT!"

"I feel like I could run circles around wild horses or something!" Toboe agreed with a smile.

"Have you even seen a horse, runt?" Hige raised a brow doubtfully.

Toboe stuck out his tongue at Hige, "You probably haven't either!"

They had departed from the forest and were now walking through a plain area of rolling hills and little shrubbery to decorate the landscape. You could see for miles and thankfully a town was in the midst and not far off. The silver of the moon bore down on them gently, not quite full, yet promising for tomorrow night's Full Moon. The time when Wolves were given revitalizing energy from the moon they adored and lunar flowers bloomed….

Heart smiled while Toboe pranced around her to prove his point that he was excited even with Hige's teasing, "If we see any wild horses in the next time, you should get a race going then, ne?" she smiled while she pulled out one of her guns to clean it with the edge of her shirt.

"You kidding?" Tsume snorted, "If wolves are considered extinct, the horses are good as history. I haven't seen an equine in all my days or heard of em."

Heart sighed in dismay, "Tsume, please don't ruin the good mood. I don't feel like kicking your ass at the moment." She flipped over her gun to polish the other side.

"Like you could, bitch." Tsume challenged.

Her gun made a resounding click before she turned it toward Tsume and cocked it, startling him slightly "I'm letting that one slide," Heart gritted her teeth before she looked over her shoulder and lowered her gun checking on Akira.

Akira was still hanging out at the back of the group, withdrawn from everything around her. The others realized that the poor shewolf needed her space to cope with what happened and also recognized that this matter should remain between Kiba and Akira….. If only Kiba would stop being stubborn and talk with her _**calmly**_ about this.

Tsume noticed Heart's attention had wandered off and rolled his eyes before choosing to direct his attention elsewhere. Deep down, though, he too was a bit concerned with how Kiba handled Akira. She really did stick her neck out for them this time. Though he believed it all could have been avoided…. He didn't even know all that happened down there in that cave Desmond had dragged her off to, but from the way Akira had shied away from himself, Hige, and even the pup, Tsume knew the worst was probably true. Desmond had tried to force himself on her. It burned anger deep with in the warrior-minded wolf.

What was done to her was wrong, But Tsume felt that Akira should live and learn. She should become stronger after this and just move on.

Kiba stopped walking when Cheza tugged on his sleeve, "Cheza, what's wrong?" he asked calmly, though inside he was anything but calm. Akira's sudden withdrawal was wearing on him more than he'd like to admit. He wasn't used to her avoiding contact with him.

"This one is…. A bit tired." She nodded to the left of them and Kiba saw a turned over army vehicle that seemed to have been abandoned long ago, "This one would like to rest and replenish before entering the city, if that is okay with Kiba…?" her ruby red innocent eyes bore into him with a plea.

Kiba smiled softly and nodded his consent, "Sure, Cheza, its fine." He let her lead him toward the fallen machine, knowing the others would follow behind them.

Cheza smiled back at Kiba while she walked a bit ahead of him, still holding on to his sleeve, but when her back was turned from him, she stole a glance back at the heavily conflicted emotions she felt coming from Akira. She wasn't tired to say the truth; the moon was nearly full and she was just as energetic and anxious for the next night as the others were, but Akira was still troubled and saddened…

The flower only hoped that her dear Kiba would find a way to help Akira feel better, and soon….


	12. NEW Chapter 11 Moon Song

A/N- See? I'm still doing this! Lol FYI I still don't own the wolfs rain franchise, though I would love to add Akira into the REAL story. That would so rock, wouldn't it? I also don't own my inspiring song lyrics down below Reviewer responses! lol

Response to reviewers:

-(BTW, I was surprised more of you didn't review, has everyone else just given up? Awww! No bueno! All who reviewed you honestly were the drive that brought this chapter to life! I have many projects I'm doing now writing-wise, about to bring out another one, so I am always happy to hear from reviewers. It drives me to update faster for the more popular stories!)

You all get your favorite kind of cookies now! Lol-

:PussyCatLover- Yes, it is I, the Dessy! I am well and alive thank you! Lol great to be back! Yes, it has been a long hard two years, but well worth the sweat, pain and blood shed lol Derby lived a very fulfilling life as far as Horses go, and though I do mourn him, the thought that so many people had life changing moments with him makes me proud that he was called mine and I am proud of his life. It's getting easier though to accept his death now though with the help of my three kitties and my lovable boyfriend! So don't worry too much about me! We had a wonderful V-day! Hope you like this chappy btw!

:KillerHotFeline- We had a wonderful V-day! I finally got to watch WarHorse the movie and loved it! A bit corny at times but over all wonderfully done! Thank you and PussyCatLover for your support and concern! You two are my most avid readers and for that I am very greatful! It makes me happy that LFASN is one of your favorites and you guys read it every V-day! I plan on adding a LOT more fluff this go around now that I have some… hands ON experience! Lol I also wanted to highlight Diya's character this go around too, so I'm happy she's getting good feedback as well! Enjoy the next chapter!

:Dessy-san1fan- when I saw that you called me Dessy-sama I started blushing! Lol I'm happy to be back and sorry that I made you guys wait so long! Especially my number one fan! Lol love the name! I hope you like the new edits in your favorite chapter! Starting off with a bit of sexual tension this go around. Always fun eh? Lol! Also, yes, I am involving MUCH more Diya and this time she's not so complacent. When I reread my own story after a year of writing it I was like…. Diya is so not that kind of girl! Lol and Laura is going to show up a bit more as well. I think I wrote her character much too quickly for my taste. Enjoy!

:Canis simensis- Another of my most appreciated avid readers! I'm so happy you didn't give up! And ohhh yeah! There's so going to be more AkiraXKiba fun in these edits. I kinda sold you guys short the first time, so now I'm trying to make up for it. Tsume and Heart are being revamped as well, but not to such a degree. They may like one another, but lets face it… they are stubborn lol! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

THANK YOU TO ALL READERS AND ESPECIALLY THANK YOU TO ALL REVIEWERS!

_Sometimes I lay under the moon_

_And thank God I'm breathin'_

_Then I pray don't take me soon_

'_Cause I am here for a reason_

_Sometimes in my tears I drown_

_But I never let it get me down_

_So when negativity surrounds_

_I know someday it'll all turn around because_

_All my life I been waitin' for_

_I been prayin' for, for the people to say_

_That we don't want to fight no more_

_There'll be no more wars and our children will play_

_One day, one day, one day…_

_**One Day: Matisyahu**_

Chapter 11 Moon Song

Cher was really starting to feel claustrophobic now, the needles of the chair meant to discourage her from moving from its metallic embrace felt as if they were boring closer and closer to her taunt, nervous skin as the seconds passed. Darcia and that white wolf hadn't returned yet, leaving the poor woman to her own thoughts. A woman dressed in black robes and pinned up, dark pigtails had brought her food and water, even took her to use the restroom, but she was still placed in that damned chair once more to await the 'Lord's' wishes. Cher WISHED she could repay that goddamned man for all he was waiting he was putting her through! He hadn't really done anything to her but force her to sit tight and wait, but that's exactly what she hated him for at the moment.

'Where is he?' she thought once more as she tried to move her head as much as the restriction of the chair would allow her to.

She stilled as she heard paws gently pad down the hallway from where the door was cracked open just slightly. She held her breath, wandering if it was a good or bad sign. She could hear the flare of canine nostrils behind the door when the padding walk stopped just out side and the door started to nudge open slowly. Blue and green eyes looked up at her as a white furry head with a bloodstained ear poked through the opening curiously.

"You again!" Cher sighed with relief, "You're hurt? What are you doing here?"

The white wolf let its self in and then backed up against the door to close it, wagging his tail as if to ease Cher's fear. He then made his way toward her restricting chair. He morphed to his human from halfway to her so she could understand him better. Cher's eyes widened at the handsome young man that stood there where the impressive white wolf once was. His eyes were still different colors though.

"Don't worry the wound's healed up by now.?" he sounded mock hurt when all she gave him was a stunned look, "Truth be told, however, I'm a bit hurt you don't seem to actually remember me…. Though you knew my sister better than you ever knew me, I really thought you'd at least remember the name they called me."

"Akira…..?" she breathed while she started to catch on to who it was, "You were with Akira!"

The young man nodded, "You're getting warmer," he encouraged while he took a look at the chair that restrained her and started to calculate how to get the woman out of it, "Now that's an interesting recliner…"

"You're that young male with Sasuke- you're his son, aren't you? Jazz?" she asked wandering what was going on and why the white dog just became human in front of her eyes in a blink of an eye. No pretty morphing light, just one minute animal, next second man!

"Bingo!" he replied, snapping his fingers as she got his name and he found out how to get her free. His green-blue eyes returned to her blue eyes that were so restricted by that head rack, "You seem kinda tangled."

"Darcia put me here. He said I had wandered around too much for his liking." Cher told him, "Did he send you to watch over me?"

"No, he sent me after my sister and the flower maiden to keep track on them. But they're still with in his scanners range from here. So I came back. Lord Orchem was just over thrown by Lady Jagura's troops and I suspect that sooner or later, they'll come here. That'll be the right time for you to escape." He told her while he dabbled with joints of the chair. With a sharp CLANK! Cher felt the chair loosen its grip on her body and let her free, "Valla! Freedom for the pretty lady," Jasper grinned, holding out a hand to help her up.

"Why are you helping me? I thought you work for Darcia?" Cher asked confused as she stood, rubbing the numbness out of her wrists.

The young man's eyes darkened, "I would never work for such a thing as a noble." Jazz said softly, "I am just his enslaved tool. I can at least help you get away from this idiotic dreamer before he warps your mind as we-eh-!" Jasper's breath caught as if something struck him! A sharp pain surged through his skull, making him convulse away from her in pain, "GAAAH!" he hissed out as his hands fisted into his hair.

"What's wrong?" she cried out surprised.

"It's Darcia!" he gritted, "He's summoning me again! Grrah!" he snarled as he tried to stand again. The pain came again in a new wave impatiently as Darcia's voice boomed inside his head, telling him what his master required, "FUCKIN SHIT! I SAID I'M ON MY WAY YOU DAMNED BASTARAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Jazz fell to the ground, "OKAAY!" he shouted. The pain eased up a bit, "I'm on my way!..."

"Jazz….?" He stopped and looked over his shoulder to the woman that called his name.

"Darcia is angry I let the flower escape. He is going after Cheza tonight in person, on the full moon. He wants her before Jagura is able to get to her. I'll be going as well, I'll try to keep at least Akira from him again. I'll be back for you with Cheza, don't worry" he sounded deeply wounded, but he had no outer injuries as he limped off down the hall to his master. He gritted his teeth through the pain as he morphed once again to his wolf form.

A far off voice stole him away from his pain. It was so familiar to him that it had Jazz stopping a moment and look out the window. Tomorrow was the full moon, but he heard a singing voice tonight. One he knew was probably a memory of the past since it was none other than his mother's song….

"How are ya doing?" Heart asked.

Akira looked down where the black wolf stood in the sand in her human form. The young red wolf had been sitting in her own human form with her legs dangling off the side of the over turned truck staring up at the pre-full moon while the others rested underneath the truck soundly. Heart was still a bit worried about the young girl. Akira still hadn't opened up about what Desmond had tried with her and Heart knew Kiba's words still stung.

Akira shrugged, "Thinking." She didn't bother looking down to acknowledge Heart was even there, which bothered the elder female.

"Oh?" Heart took an easy leap up and landed on one knee beside Akira, "Thinking of what?" she wasn't about to let the girl off so easily when she was starting to give everyone the cold shoulder.

"Just…. Thinking about things and how it's all changed" Akira sighed looking back up to the moon, "I don't even feel like me any more and it's only been a few weeks since we joined this pack."

"Yeah, we've come a long way haven't we?" agreed, joining Akira in her moon gazing for a moment before attempting to speak again, "I'm guessing by 'change' you also mean what Kiba said?" Heart hesitated.

Akira's eye twitched, "Just because I get a bit quieter and philosophically cold, doesn't mean I have to care what that BOY has said to me." she practically snapped while stubbornly turning her head away from the older female, biting her lip as her heart stung again at the thought of what Kiba said.

Heart heaved a hefty sigh in exasperation with the younger girls sudden cold shoulder, but she let Akira have her way and dropped it for now. The two sat in silence while one gazed at the moon passing time, and the other glared at the desolate, sand-dune landscape. Neither really willing to break the uncomfortable tension between them, less it explode in their faces and they end up hurting the each other in a bout of anger that wasn't really meant between them.

"You know," Heart started off after a while when she felt her frustration was cooled off again, "We all know that he crossed a line with you, but he was really worried, Akira."

"Spare me" Akira huffed.

"Really, REALLY, worried-,"

"I could tell in the way that he harped at me when all was safe again." She rolled her eyes, not buying it.

Heart squealed in frustration, "Alright- FINE! Don't believe me, but you don't have to be all bitchy about it!" Heart harrumphed, "It's not like you're the first girl to have to deal with a man that really cares about you but comes off the wrong way, you know? Oh it must be soooo bad for him to show that he cares!" She was standing now so she could talk down at Akira.

"What makes you say that he cares about me?" Akira defended, knowing she probably was being more naïve than normal, but she's had to put aside her emotions until now, and right now the one that wanted out the most was anger and frustration, "Is throwing your weight around after a girl almost gets raped a way to show your affection? Yeah, I can really feel the love!" now the two were about nose to nose in an argument that was rousing the others awake.

Heart smirked, "How should I know? I've mated before- That's how I know, thank you! You think Kiba's bad? Wait till ya mate some bastard that doesn't give two shits about you." She hissed, "Even till the day he died, I never knew if he every truly loved me as anything other than his alpha female, so don't go whining about not being able to understand how he feels about you!"

Akira stiffened, 'That's right…..' she thought guiltily as she glanced at Heart through the corner of her eye, 'Heart lost her mate….but he never loved her?'

"Did you…. uh, I mean, did you ever….do you ever?" she was fumbling again for the right word.

"Ever fulfilled our mating: Yes, Akira, it's called _Mating_" Heart grinned at Akira's instant blush.

"Heart! I-I-I-!" Akira stuttered.

"Ever have pups: No" she seemed a little sad admitting that, "I hadn't gotten pregnant before he died."

"Did you plan on having them?"

"What girl doesn't? Sure I want a family someday, but… this world doesn't seem like a place for pups. This world doesn't have that kind of future" Heart turned her gaze to the moon

"You're wrong" Akira whispered. Heart's eyes narrowed slightly as she turned to her companion once more, "Shura was going to give birth to three pups…. And I've seen a few pregnant women on the streets in the towns we visit. Life is still able to continue regardless of all this pain we're going through. so long as life is able to be born into this world, then there's a life here worth molding into the future, right?"

"What about paradise?" Heart asked in awe, "Aren't we supposed to go there to escape this place?"

"Paradise?" Akira thought then smiled, "Papa said that paradise is the heaven for wolves. It is our holy land, but we were placed here, and now this is our home. If paradise can create mother earth, then I believe that paradise is calling us to reopen it so that we may heal it. Life here will not simply end like every one's so afraid of, but…." Akira's eyes darted downward before they were drawn to the moon, "It will simply begin again anew. And next time, it will be able to start again with a fresh slate."

"You really think that's what paradise does?" Heart was still in awe at the wisdom coming from the young wolf. She was far wiser beyond her years at times. Akira nodded, "Your father must have been some wolf. He seems really…. Wise and kind."

"Yeah…. He was" Akira agreed.

"How do you know so much about paradise any ways?" Heart tilt her head, "You always have an answer for anything regarding it."

Akira shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine. Papa just used to talk about it all the time, but I find myself feeling almost close to paradise, like I know it from how my dreams picture it at night."

"So….. we're following a dream?"

"Or Kiba's 'instinct'?" Akira grinned, holding back her laughter.

Heart sputtered into her own laughter and Akira couldn't hold it in any longer. The two women held each other up while they laughed as friends again about their 'leader's silly claim about following instincts to paradise until neither could breath well anymore and fell down on their backs, panting for breath and relaxing on the cool steel of the truck bathed in the moonbeams peaking out from the clouds.

The two let companionable silence pass between them peacefully. Their tension dissolved into nothingness as they smiled up into the moon. Akira's fingers laced together and rested on her abdomen as the tossed around the idea of Kiba again and finally sighed, pushing herself up to lean on her elbow and looked down at Heart closing her eyes and smiling up at the moon as if she were in bliss.

"Look, I understand why Kiba was worried, but I still haven't heard it from his own lips that he regrets saying any of it. Even Tsume has taken a crack at apologizing for him today," Akira smiled a bit at the memory of the usually hardened wolf trying to cheer her up in his gruff-like way earlier.

"Is that what he was doing earlier?" Heart's eyes opened widened in surprise before she let out a giggle, grabbing her sore stomach and quickly hid her snickers, not wanting Tsume to overhear them.

The giggles were contagious again, it seemed. Akira's smile grew wider before she was stifling her own giggles. The two of them let their laughter out a little louder together under the moon and started up laughing out loud once more, kicking their heels in the air as they now rolled back and forth on the truck, imagining Tsume trying to apologize! Akira didn't feel so down anymore since Heart had come to comfort her and for that, she was grateful to be able to laugh again with her best friend and sister at heart.

"Akira….?" The girls' giggles shut off quickly when they heard a new voice. They both bolted up quickly, guiltily thinking they'd waken the others, but looking down at the sandy ground, they saw it was just Kiba looking up at them. Though, he seemed a little apprehensive about something as he stood awkwardly, not looking at Akira directly while he scratched the back of his head in human form and shifted weight from one leg to the other. He was obviously squirming about something!

Akira's mood started to darken once more, at the actual sight of him again, "Hello, Kiba" she replied tightly and turned her eyes away from his, not wanting to look directly at him either.

He flinch at her tone, "Err…. Uh," he swallowed nervously, "Hello?"

And just like that, neither tried to look at the other or even say something more. Yet Kiba wasn't leaving and Akira wasn't likely to go out of her way any more to give the dominant male any more ground than she already had given him. The tension between the two was thick enough to poke at in the air!

Heart coughed anxiously, "Y-You know what? I think someone should go survey the perimeter around our little camp before we all bed down for the night, what do you think?" Heart piped in while she jumped down and patted Kiba's shoulder enthusiastically with a wide smile, "I'll go tell the others you and Akira are out patrolling"

"Patrolling?" Kiba blinked, but the black she wolf was already gone. Kiba looked back up at Akira confused, but Akira just shrugged.

"I guess we might as well do as she says. You know how _demanding _she can get," she sighed, sliding down near him and starting to walk off, leaving _him_ to follow her this time. She still had yet to actually look him in the face.

Kiba knew he was in for it, but damn it, this needed to end some how! He gritted his teeth and jogged after her. He couldn't stand her ignoring him like this anymore and the frustration was getting to him that she wouldn't look at him any more.

"Akira,"

"Yes, that is my name." Akira huffed, still not turning around, "And it's all you can seem to say lately."

"I know you're hurt because of how I yelled at you," he continued, resolving in just plowing his way through this apology thing. There's a first time for everything!

"Really? I was hurt? How could you tell through spiting at me?" she glared back at him before whipping around to stomp off again, "I was under the impression that's how wolves "take what they want" isn't it?"

"Akira," he warned while his patience was thinning quicker by the second with her stubborn sarcasm.

"LA-la-la, I cant here you!" she sung out loudly in a very childish way in covering her eyes and closing her eyes tightly shut, "I don't wanna hear your macho-Alpha-He-man excuses!"

"Macho-wha-? DAMN IT THAT'S IT!" he snarled and snatching her arms and yanked her back to look at him finally.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" she snapped, taking off guard that he was restraining her.

"WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO WHAT I'M TRYING TO FUCK'N SAY TO YOU GODDAMN IT!" he barked, "I'M TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING TO YOU BUT YOU WON'T LET ME SAY IT!"

"Alight then!" she hissed back, trying to get him to let go of her arms, but Kiba wasn't letting her go anytime soon, "You have the floor, oh noble one." She mock bowed her head since she couldn't move her arms as she rolled her eyes immaturely.

"Hey, don't call me a noble," Kiba grimaced, "it's more of a harsh insult then sarcastic remark here."

"Good point" she momentarily broke her cold front and smiled apologetically, but quickly glared back at him when he started to smile back. She wasn't about to let him off so easily.

"Look, I know what I said to you was far out of line to you back there," he sighed.

"An understatement," she started, but with the blue glare he issued her she quickly smiled nervously, "But please continue,"

"You're not just some… bitch in heat or anything and I know that it wasn't your fault he was a horny bastard that couldn't keep his paws to himself," he was rambling now….,  
"Matter of fact, even that horn dog, Hige can keep it in his fur better than that Desmond guy, and it's not like someone so small can keep fending off a lug like that guy and-,"

"Ah-hem," she cleared her throat to cut into his rant, "Speaking of paws…" Akira started and looked at the hand that gripped her arm tightly still pointedly, "This is just a wee bit too tight."

"Oh, Sorry" Kiba let up his hold, only to sit down on the soft sand and gently drag her down with him. He made sure she ended up in his lap so he could keep a hold of her if she tried to flee again, "and I want to apologize for making you hurt like that. I'm not mad at you," Akira gave him a doubtful look, "No, really I'm not!" His blue eyes intensed his determined look as he took her hands in his and held eye contact with her, "I am furious that I let someone take you from me. I'm, angry that I let someone hurt you before I could get you back. If he had… If I hadn't have gotten there, he would have…" Kiba couldn't bring himself to say it. His blue eyes downcast away from her understanding orange eyes guiltily.

Akira was blushing more than she ever felt she could before! She was in his lap and he was apologizing to her while he held her so tenderly and he was stumbling over the words to say to her, '_H-Heart was right…'_ she thought, '_He really does care about me…'_ with that thought, she swallowed nervously as her heart beat sped up even more than it already was. Her orange eyes darted away from him shyly as her crimson bangs fell across her face, "The thing is that he DIDN'T get that far" she reassured while looking away from him, "So you don't have to worry about that. You came just in time to save me, Kiba, thank you" she didn't realize that those simple words 'thank you' were all he needed to hear for the boulder of guilty shame to be rolled off his back a bit.

Kiba hooked a finger under her chin so she was facing him again. His deep, blue eyes shown with an emotion that she rarely saw anymore in anyone, but could tell it was akin to what she felt for him when she was by his side now, "The thing is that he almost did, and if I hadn't come when I did…. And if Jagura's damned airship hadn't shown up," he paused for a moment to snort haughtily, "hmph, though I could have done with out that," he rolled his eyes, "You would have been claimed and raped against your will. And the thought that I had let you get that close to something like that when I swore to Zali…. To _you_ that I wouldn't let anything happen to you, it made my blood both boil and run cold and I was just…. Venting. Just venting" his voice trailed off as he waited for her to say something, but was almost afraid of what she would say.

For a moment, Akira just stared unseeingly as it all sunk in. she realized just how hard Kiba was taking this and felt guilty for dragging it out and making him squirm, '_he deserved a bit of that though'_ she rethought and shook her head. Coming to her decision, she returned Kiba's gaze with a warm, welcoming disposition as she twined her arms around his neck and brought him in for a hug.

"I forgive you then, if that is what you're asking of me" she finally nodded against his hair as she whispered her forgiveness in his ear.

He sighed with relief with a shudder from how her light breath felt on his ear and let out a breath he forgot he was holding, "Thank you." He wrapped his arms around her back and held her to him, revealing in the hug they shared. It felt good to hold her so close like this, that he found that he missed the warmth of it when she pulled back to be face to face again.

"So, do you feel better now?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Heart cheered me up before you came along" Akira smirked, "I don't have to rely on you for everything you know" she joked.

"That wouldn't be such a bad thing," he said softly while his blue eyes were suddenly transfixed to her lips.

Akira felt something stir in reaction, but what she didn't know just yet. Her orange eyes strayed to his pale lips as well while he started to draw closer and lean his head to a tilt. Her eyes closed instinctively when she felt his breath caress her suddenly dry lips. Her tongue darted out to wet them and he took the opportunity to snatch it with his lips. Pressing his lips against hers and gently rolling her tongue with them.

Akira's eyes shot open while she gasped in surprised and her tongue retreated immediately. Kiba's followed suit and ran along her now closed lips, asking her to come back again and join him again. She started relax slowly once again and she moaned into his mouth, then started to lean against him while opening her mouth to him once more caressing her tongue against him. Kiba growled in approval and he started to deepen the kiss again by pushing his tongue pass her lips and teeth to explore her inner crevices. He started to lean into her and slowly lowered her to lay down on her back into the sand, breaking the kiss only to gasp for air before he was on her again, loving the new taste he had found locked inside her. It was driving him mad that he hadn't tried such a sweet taste in all his life!

This was all new sensations for Akira, and she struggled to keep up with Kiba. Desmond hadn't even tried to kiss her, just humped her. Akira had a fleetingly thought of what she would have done if it were Kiba doing that to her instead of the alpha wolf back in the dark caves. At first she was uncomfortable with that thought, but if he chose to woe her like this…. She didn't think she'd mind too much. This felt too good to be afraid of it if it was Kiba caressing and massaging her with his large warm hands through her cloths while he pinned her down on the sand with his tongue practically making love to her mouth. How could this feel scary?

"AKIIIIIIRA!" Toboe called out into the night.

Akira stiffened under Kiba, but the man above her didn't seem to heed Toboe's call. Kiba was passionately licking and nibbling along her jaw line and made his way toward her neck. He didn't seem inclined to stop.

"Wasn't that Toboe?" she gasped out of breath, trying to get her hands free from under Kiba's weight so she could try to push him off. Yet to no avail.

"Hmn?" Didn't she know he was _busy_ at the moment? She was moaning just a moment ago. Maybe he should nip harder.

"Hey, ow!" Akira yelped, and had to hold back another moan when Kiba licked the bruise to ease the pain, "Kiba, I think Toboe's coming!" she started to struggle underneath him again.

"So?" he mumbled against the skin of her neck, enjoying her smell.

"AKIIIIRA? HEY ARE YOU OUT HERE?" Toboe called again.

"Leav'em alone, Pup, Kiba's with her, wherever they are, so you know she's not gonna be hurt" This time it was Hige, and he sounded closer… a lot closer!

"And isn't that Hige too? What if they find us like this?" her voice went up a few octaves as she started to get nervous just thinking about the embarrassment of being caught in this predicament with Kiba pinned on top of her.

"Your point?" Kiba grumbled when she kept shrugging away from his lips. He let his elongated canine scrape her neck in retribution for trying to struggle against him.

"Ow, Kiba!" she warned with wild eyes that were desperate not to get caught.

"AKI-," Toboe's voice suddenly cut off when he spotted Kiba lying over Akira down below the sand dune he had peaked. Kiba was draped over the girl in a very compromising position and Akira's face was bright red with her arms feebly pushing at Kibas chest while the elder blue-eyed man mildly glared at Toboe, "Oh…. There you are."

"Did you find them Runt?" Hige asked coming up next to him. His eyes widened when he saw Kiba and Akira and he whistled sultrily, "You're really making it up to her aren't you, Kiba? And you guys call me a horny pervert!"

"You'll be a neutered dog if you keep it up," Kiba threatened calmly.

The fact that they had just caught him and Akira didn't seem to be that big a deal other than the fact that he refused to move off her to let them see her better. His blue eyes were slighly glaring but Hige and Toboe felt a chill down their spines telling them not to approach if they wished to remain male. Now that Kiba had her where he wanted her, his instincts were not about to let her go.

"I uh…. Take it that the coast is clear?" Hige sweat dropped while he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, darting his eyes away from the entwined couple in the sand.

"Ye- Yes" Akira gulped, suddenly shoving Kiba off her with a burst of strength, "We didn't see anything!"

"OOMPH!" Kiba yelped as he was shoved back to his haunches and Akira was up at her feet before he could even blink. She readjusted her clothing and cleared her throat, still blushing like mad.

"Didja now?" Hige grinned, but wiped his face clean soon as Kiba growled a warning.

"Yeah, I thought Heart told you Kiba and I were on patrol?" Akira didn't seem to catch on to what just happened, "Why are you guys out here?"

"Yeah, but the runt got antsy since you were pissed at Kiba and he was afraid you guys get into a fight so he came out here to find you and then Heart and Tsume got mad at me for not stopping him, even though _they_ were closer to him then I was at the time…" he mumbled the last part.

"Apparently…." Toboe smiled bashfully, "You two weren't fighting and you made up?"

"Uh…." Akira's blush was back full force, "No, we fought, but…"

Kiba rested his hand on her crown, his thumb lightly brushing her hair that tangled around it, "That's true. We're no longer fighting. Quite opposite really." He smirked, kissing her cheek, "We've made up and now feel better than ever, right Akira?"

"KIBA!" Akira snapped, trying to slap him away, but Kiba just chuckled at her outburst while backing off. He was finding that teasing her was getting to be more fun than ever!

"So how long until we have little Kiba's howling at the moon?" Hige teased with a laugh.

He got three bonks on the head from each of the other three wolves around him.

"I WAS JUST JOKING!" he whined.

"Not cool man…" Toboe rolled his eyes, "Not cool."

Jazz sniffed the ground over the wastelands sandy dunes. His nostrils filled irritated with sand and he promptly snorted it out with a sneer on his wolf lips that curled back to flash his fangs in his agitation as he snorted the loose sand out of his nose.

"Follow them, the bastard says!" he quoted what his 'Human bond brother' ordered him to do, "He wants me to follow them and attack when I see _him _in danger? The hell is that supposed to mean?" he snarled. The spell bond was pushing him faster to find the prey Darcia had set him loose on. He had to find and follow them once more, before the full moon that night was high in the sky and the path to paradise would show it's self.

"He seems really insistent on all of this happening tonight." Jasper narrowed his eyes. He knew what that meant- Darcia knew how to open the Noble's paradise and was going to try and use Cheza to do it.

But where did that leave Akira? Darcia knew the legend as well as anybody else with the knowledge of it and as such knew that she was required in terms of the 'Red-Moon'. … … Unless the human DIDN'T in fact figure that little detail out truly and was just screwing with him so he'd behave.

Or did Darcia really not know the full legend?

"Some how I doubt that fairytale is the case" he sighed wistfully and took another whiff of his surroundings. The wind was ever changing, which usually would make animals nervous of hunters tailing them, bud Jasper was the biggest, baddest thing around and felt no fear of the windy sand dune wasteland. This time, he chose to scent the air instead of the ground. His nose twitched when the familiar scent of lunar flowers and wolf graced his sensitive nostrils. His two colored eyes opened again toward the western direction; away from the rising sun behind him. That was where they were- West.

"That didn't take long" Jazz rolled his eyes and paced off toward his assignment.

Little did he know that a fox-colored female canine was tailing him, keeping the young silver wolf with in her sight, "To the west it is."

The town wasn't deserted, but it was rather…. Rough around the edges. Actually, more like edges and everywhere in between this dust bucket of a town was rough. Shady characters were everywhere to be found, each giving the passing human disguised wolves their own signature glare. One could tell this was another of those towns where tourism is a thing meant for books and not reality. Trash littered the streets that weren't even paved, but a dusty dirt road. The epitome of cowboy slums shown in old movies was right in front of their eyes!

"I know this is a bad place to feel this way, but I feel so restless and excited, I can't help but smile!" Toboe exclaimed with a huge grin, seeming to piss off the locals that their glares didn't make the youngster cower in fear.

"You can say that again." Akira agreed with her own grin that faltered slightly when a roguish thug with slicked back hair winked at her. She started crowding closer to Heart while the elder female warranted her own heated warning glare at the man to back off as she took a step in his line of sight of Akira.

Yet, it was Kiba that confronted the man before Heart had a chance to. The young man approached Akira from behind and gently hooked an arm around her shoulders and tucked her body close to his.

"She's not interested" He smirked a challenge at the man.

Akira blushed and wished the ground would just swallow her up while the humans and the rest of the pack stared astonished at Kiba's boldness.

"Is that so?" the human man said doubtfully, "Well can you keep her with ya? A travelin lady likes to 'wander' if you know what I mean, boy." He taunted.

"I suggest you go on and head to where ever you're headed." Kiba's blue eyes pierced a deadly promise through the man. The human shivered and nodded gruffly, then kept walking on his way.

"Just passing by, Man, no need to bite my head off!" he grumbled as he shoved pass them.

"Someone's a bit cocky today." Hige remarked with raised brows at Kiba who still had an arm slung around Akira's shoulders.

Kiba shrugged and started to lead on with Akira protectively still tucked under his arm.

Hige sighed, "He's sure been smug since he got hot and heavy with Akira last night." He groused half jealous, "Wasn't it just yesterday that they were avoiding each other?"

"Just can-it already," Heart snorted while she passed him and Tsume with Toboe following her closely to follow Kiba, Akira, and a brightly grinning Cheza who seemed to beam at Kiba's attitude with Akira rather than question it like the others.

"Touchy…" Hige grinned. He couldn't help it! Tonight was the full moon! Even Heart and Tsume seemed to be a bit more energetic and happily excited today. Cheza was absolutely glowing with delight and energy as she skipped with her wolf escorts through the rough looking town.

"It makes me happy inside to see Cheza like this. Just look at her!" Akira smiled warmly, relaxing under Kiba's arm. With the full moon out, Akira was feeling more giddy and happy tonight and also more accepting to touch, like all wolves felt around this time. It was like a buzz high almost.

"I know we're all hyped up because we get our strength from the full moon, but why's Cheza acting like this?" Toboe cocked his head to the side.

"On the night of the full moon, the lunar flowers will bloom and direct the way for wolves to paradise" Kiba recalled.

"You mean that Paradise is coming tonight?" Tsume seemed to perk up.

"I heard it in a legend once." Kiba admitted.

"It makes sense with her being a lunar flower and all, plus a full moon as healthy as the one tonight's supposed to be" Heart agreed.

"Wait a second, you guys are telling me that Cheza's supposed to actually _bloom_ tonight?" Hige asked doubtfully.

"She's supposed to do what?" Toboe had just popped back in the conversation and was confused.

"It's possible." Akira sighed as she watched Cheza dance ahead of them.

"Didn't you father ever tell you about when flowers bloom though, Akira?" Heart tilt her head.

"Papa never told us stories about blooming lunar flowers, at least not when the would. He only said when they do, paradise opens up." Akira replied shyly.

"Then it's settled." Kiba grinned, "Tonight, we find paradise!"

Jasper stood on the tall bluff looking over the rundown town below. His two colored eyes narrowed while the wind drifted to him bringing the scent of the flower and his sister. Then his tail twitched restlessly as he looked behind him for the hundredth time. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. But who would be out here? A lone wolf? Blue would have tackled him on the spot and yelled at him for leaving her.

He had left that young black wolf because he didn't want Darcia getting his hands on her either, but had yet to find the female again. He hoped she was at least doing a good job at fending for herself.

Jasper stared down at the group again, content that the spells urge with in him was quelled and he could rest from the constant need to track since they were with in his sight. Now…. It was only a matter of time before-

_**Have you found them, my brother?**_

Speak of the devil….

'_I have located their current location, yes'_ he replied with an edge in his voice of distaste, '_But I keep getting this feeling-,'_

_**It's just the moon probably. Stay with them until I have made my appearance. You'll know what to do from there when the time is right.**_

'_Yes, oh mighty Bastard from hell' _Jazz rolled his eyes and started trotting down the slope. A dark chuckle haunted his mind.

_**Your humor still amuses me, my dear wolf brethren. **_Darcia's voice chuckled.

Jasper had never wanted to shoot himself in the head as much as he did at that point in time, yet he knew that the spell wouldn't allow him to do such a thing.

"I really must be thanking you, young one." Jasper whirled around in surprise when a REAL voice spoke to him now, "With out your I would have had to track these mutts down all on my own." A sultry red, fox-like she wolf was sitting not ten feet away from the shocked silver wolf.

Jasper spun around and bent low, ready for attack, "I knew someone was tailing me! Who are you?" he demanded.

But the shewolf wasn't looking him in the eye any more, her orange eyes were focused on his neck in disbelief, "It can't be…. Jasper?" she looked back up into his eyes, as if searching, "But you're…. so big now! And your eyes- oh Jasper, what's happened to your eyes?"

"M-Mother?" Jasper gawked. He hadn't seen his mother since he was an adolescent pup just out of his weaning!

"It's me," Diya nodded, wagging her tail as she stood up and darted forward happily to greet her son she hadn't seen in years!

"Mother!" Jasper wagged his tail as the two wolves rubbed their faces in each others hair and hugged each others necks, scenting one another again, "Where have you been?"

"I- Jasper… that scent," Diya's face became sickly as her nostrils picked up a scent that scared her like no other, "Darcia… you have his blood in you?" she took a step back, "You've blood bonded to Darcia? A Noble?"

"I didn't go willingly into the ceremony, mother!" Jasper tucked his tail underneath him in shame, "I was caught after the attack on the City and I got split up with – ARGH!" a sharp pain tore through Jasper as Darcia linked minds with him again.

_**What's taking you brother wolf?**_

'_Go away!'_

"He's calling you isn't he?" Diya's face darkened.

"Mother…. Run…."

_**Mother?**_

"Get away from here now!" Jasper gritted out through the pain as he clenched his eyes shut.

"I won't leave you!" Diya shook her head, "Not now that I know a Noble is using you too!"

"What do you mean- ARIGH!" he roared in pain, "Go NOW!" he lunged himself at his own mother to get her to back away.

"Jasper let me-," Diya felt her throat tighten when she felt her own link to Jagura stir as the noble woman started to feel Diya's apprehension.

_**Diya… have you found the flower yet?**_

'_I… I… yes, milady.'_

_**Well is it coming to me then?**_

Diya stood and watched her son as he writhed in pain in front of her while Darcia tried to wrangle him under control again and get a look at who he was talking to. If she stayed much longer, they would both be in danger. Jagura would want to kill Jasper for being an agent of her rival and love, Darcia. The woman was twisted and will kill anything close to Darcia so she had that much less to compete with for the Nobleman's love.

'_Yes, milady. I'm keeping it with in sight now. I'll rendezvous with the Elorrah in a moment and give you a full report soon as I gauge the flower's complete path.'_

_**I await your report then.**_

And the chilling link was gone again. Diya turned tail and ran, to give her and Jasper some distance. While running away she could his roars of pain die down slowly till she could only hear his forlorn howl to the full moon.

After running for a while, Diya stopped to catch her breath atop a roof top and turned to look back in the direction her grown son had been, catching a glimpse of silver fur shining in the moonlight, 'I will see you again, my son.' She thought.

"Hey, can you feel that?" Heart exclaimed excitedly "The moon's finally comming up! I feel so ALIVE!"

Red eyes rolled back in a relieved pleasure as she felt the cool beams of the moon soak into her coppery skin while she let her dark, short, shaggy hair blow in the breeze of the warm night sky above them. The moon was about to come out and they were all gathered near a fountain just on the deserted side of town.

Akira's eyes flashed in excitement as she felt her blood heat up with anticipation, "I've never really been able to get out while it was a full moon outside, but I always felt a high on a full moon. This is such a…. a ridiculously ….. Good feeling!" she laughed breathlessly as the buzz of the moon caught up to her and sang in her blood.

"I mean sure, we've all seen a full moon before, but since Cheza's here it feels different, ya know?" Toboe chimed in happily from Akira's side with a happy grin plastered on his face. The young wolf danced around his elders, bumping into them every once in a while, yet the elders didn't seem to care.

Twilight began to fade in the horizon and the sky darkened to night with the silvery moon rising above them. The warmth of the night had a pleasant cooling breeze in the light wind that ruffled their hair every once in a while, as pleasurable as the perfect summers night. Tsume bunched up his muscles before stretching his arms up in the air to find some sort of release for his energy that suddenly surged through him when the moon finally came fully arisen.

"MAN! I JUST WANNA HOWL MY HEAD OFF!" He shouted with a toothy grin.

Kiba smiled at the pack he had come to be apart of while helped Cheza into the fountain water at her request. He noticed the secretive grin on the maidens face, "Something big's about to happen" he said in awe as his eyes became glued to the lily-white maiden as she gracefully walked into the cool water.

All the wolves turned to watch Cheza while she made her way to the middle of the pool of water. Her ruby eyes were closed in pleasure while she soaked up the water and the moonlight at the same time. She seemed to glow in happiness as a faint, pinkish, actual glow appeared about her mystically. They all waited excitedly for what they knew was about to happen.

Paradise….

Cheza straightened her back and tilt back her head so she was looking up to the sky and opened her ruby eyes to the moon. Her hands reached out as if she were praising it, or trying to hug it. She slowly started to twist around in a tight circle, giggling as she did. She was dancing.

Akira couldn't hold back any longer. She morphed wolf and started to lope around the maiden happily while the flower danced around and around in the water. The other wolves caught on and soon all five of them happily running around the dancing maiden while Cheza laughed into the night. The moon's power fused through their veins.

Kiba stopped suddenly and threw back his head to let lose a tenor howl to the moon. Heart followed in suit on the other side of Cheza with her own soprano howl. Tsume and Hige let loose a low bass and baritone howl while Toboe and Akira were complimenting Altos. Cheza stopped her spinning sang out her own cry to the moon joyfully. The melodic harmony was enough to rouse humans to peak out their windows sleepily when the heard the sound of a joyous singing voices serenading the moon above.

Silvery white ears perked when he caught the sound of the moonlight song the other wolves and the flower sang. His heart felt heavier at how beautiful it sounded and he lost himself in the passion of their voices.

The beautiful sound made Jasper forget that he was a prisoner in his own body for once and allowed him just to be him. A wolf.

The silver male sat down on his haunches and tipped back his head to join in the song and howl for all he was worth as he too cried out to the moon.

09709709709709709709709709

_**Do you hear them, Diya?**_

Diya stood on the tallest building in town looking down at the scene. She had already spotted the small pack of wolves and the flower far off and the shack roof her son had taken refuge on and her orange eyes started to tear up.

Her cubs were here. They were grown up, and their voices were beautiful under the moon. She never thought she would hear this ever again! The red she wolf ignored her mistress's attempts to make conversation. She didn't care that Jagura was listening to the ancient wolf song through her own ears. She didn't care that she knew the moment wouldn't last. She didn't care about her guilty burden she had carried on her back since she abandoned these beautiful cubs….

All she cared about was how comforting the flower's song felt. It embraced the she-wolfs cold heart that had turned her on her own kind and made her feel loved once more. Made her feel wolf, and not a hybrid.

_**Remember what the wolf did to your kind, Diya.**_

Jagura warned.

'_I… I am wolf though…'_ Diya reminded herself and a painful stab of guilt tore through her as she thought of Laura and all the other wolves forced into those cold cells in the stockades, '_I am a wolf!'_

_**You are neither wolf, nor dog…**_

Jagura's reverberating voice seemed to snicker in Diya's head.

_**A dog is loyal to her master; a wolf is loyal to her pack; a human is loyal to her kind, but a fox, dear Diya, is loyal to herself. Remember who you are…**_

'_Who I am…'_ Diya turned away and gritted her teeth. As she felt something was going wrong. She always seemed to have a sixth sense about something bad about to happen.

_**Is it Darcia? Follow him my pet. Make sure you lure him here….**_

And the voice was gone again. Diya breathed in deeply as wild lunar flower petals appearing from nowhere rushed passed her in the wind and gathered around the lunar flower maiden and the wolves she was with. The path to paradise was showing itself to the flower, but Diya knew Darcia wouldn't allow the wolves paradise arise so easily. The noble was here somewhere and even her son, Jasper had confirmed that.

Diya turned calculating eyes toward Jasper, who seemed captivated by the lunar flowers that flowed around him. Wolves were inevitably addicted to the scent of real lunar flowers, but being part fox, Diya only felt a very high liking to them. Not an absolute needy addiction the wolves held for it. Her daughter, Akira still felt the pull, and Jasper wasn't of Diya's womb. None of those wolves saw what Diya saw behind the veil of flower petals that filled the sky.

A dark airship flew above high in the clouds, laying in wait for the right time to strike.

"I won't let you hurt my children again, Darcia!" Diya snarled as she bolted off the roof of the tall building, landing gracefully on her feet in the street in wolf form and startling the humans that were lounging around there, oblivious to the hundreds of lunar flower petals in the sky around them. The red she wolf took off, tailing the sky ship.

'_Who I am, is no more than a hollowed out husk.'_ Diya admitted, '_But I will not back down when you threaten my cubs once more!'_

Cheza and the wolves were silently gazing up at the moon now. Each wolf sat straight in a circle around the maiden to bask in the light of the moon, waiting with baited breath for what will happen next. They could all feel something was coming in the very pits of their red-hot blood. Cheza's closed ruby eyes suddenly opened, letting the moon reflect in her sightless pupils. A shock vibrated pleasantly through all of them and Cheza smiled.

"It's time to go home, that it is" she whispered.

The wolves opened their eyes when an overwhelming floral scent came over them with a burst of wind. One by one they took in their surroundings in amazement. Excitement and joy that was indescribable came over them when they grasped exactly what it was they were looking at: flowers.

Hundreds…. Thousands, MILLIONS of white petal lunar flowers were all around them with their petals swirling in the wind. The flowers formed a path at their paws that led a long stretch away from them, but at the end…

What lay at the end of the trail was unseen but every wolf's heart leapt in their throats in excitement. It could only mean one thing! They had found the way to paradise at last! After months of searching! They had found it!

The wolves stared in awe at the path of lunar flowers seemed to lead to the stairway to heaven. Truth be known, that was exactly what it was. In the horizon, a golden light that seemed to align itself just under the moon shown brightly against the night sky illuminated by the light of the silver moon. A beckon that lured hope to fill the wolves as they perked up their ears in wander and dropped their slacked jaws in shock.

They all stood rooted, dumbstruck at what they were seeing, but Cheza just smiled at them, "Come," she said to them while she started off at a joyful skip down the flower-made path, "Let us go home" she said.

"Oh …. My … God" Heart gasped breathlessly. Tears were streaking down her soft black fur and her autumn red eyes were watery with joy as she slowly lifted a paw to follow the others as they started to follow in shock that Paradise was ACTUALLY here!

"It's…" Tsume shook his head to try and clear it, but the scent of flowers clouded his brain and set him on a high he'd never felt before, "It's Paradise…. It's really real!"

Akira smiled in a canine-puppy way with her tongue hanging out happily, "AND IT'S HERE! FOR PARADISE!" she cried out, kicking up her paws in joy as she started to bolt for the horizon, "MAMA! PAPA! I'M COMING!" she called out.

Cheza was running on Akira's heels, laughing joyously at the red she wolf's excitement. Soon, the white furred Kiba was running between them. His golden gaze locked in overwhelmed happiness on the horizon. They were joined with Toboe and Hige soon with Heart and Tsume not far behind. All were elated with feelings they've never thought possible. Feelings that had long been abandoned by many of their kind that had trekked the same way before them a hundred times over and never came close to what the wolves were seeing now!

Angels seemed to smile down upon the small pack while they loped through the path of flowers toward their destiny. None of them heard the high-pitched noise of a familiar air ship until it was unfortunately too late to do anything about it.

A black airship hovered over the moon, blocking its lustrous beams. The illusion seemed to waver around the wolves. Cheza's happy grin melted away, leaving her in confusion when she felt the flowers around her wither and die before they simply disappeared. The group came to a slow stop in confusion as the flowers and the gate to paradise beyond the horizon faded from them. Their surroundings seemed to be a barren deserted wasteland once more. Far from the town they had started. Above them, the shadow of the airship still loomed. Cheza's eyes widened in fear and she cried out in fear, hiding behind Akira and Kiba who had taken on their human forms like the others had.

"It's Darcia!" Hige shouted over the wind to the others in alarm.

"He must be here for Cheza!" Heart replied in anger. Her human fangs bore up at the ship with a hissing snarl.

"We must leave here. This one no longer feels paradise here" Cheza's voice seemed to quiver in fear. Her knees gave out and she fell to the ground.

"CHEZA!" Akira gasped, reaching down to help the flower up.

Cheza clung tightly around Akira's neck in fear while the red head held her up by the waste. Her ruby eyes wide, "Please, Please take us away from here, Kiba" Cheza begged.

Kiba's glanced back at them uncertain, and then he glared up at the airship with vengeance, "We have to get her out of here. Let's go!" he turned to lead them away, but an angry snarl stopped them.

Akira's orange eyes stared in horror when she saw none other than her own brother snarling at them. He didn't look as if he planned to let them pass. His wolf and human blue and green eyes leered at them almost bloodthirsty. He looked half crazed with his fur bristled so wildly.

"Him again?" Toboe's brow knotted in confusion, "He was that wolf that helped us back at the den!"

Tsume tensed when he realized that their once companion wasn't backing down, and the silver wolf blocked their every move to escape with Cheza while the airship slowly lowered, as if the noble enjoyed taking his merry little time, "However, it looks like the truth on this guys allegiance is finally showing itself."

"What do you mean?" Hige asked, not keeping his frieghtened eyes off the airship or the snarling large silver wolf that easily out weighed his wolf form with the muscle he was packing.

"He's in league with Darcia."

"No!" Akira rejected the thought and shook her head, "No you're wrong!" she urged Cheza to go to Toboe and rushed past Kiba.

"Akira, wait-!" Kiba reached out for her.

"It's ok, Kiba," Akira waved him to back off, "This is Jasper. He knows his own sister, duh! This just has to be a misunderstanding." Akira tried to approach him while the others took defensive positions. She bent down to a squat and held out her hand to show she meant no harm, "Jasper?" she softly said. The wolf snarled louder as if he hated the name, "Jasper, please, tell me why you're doing this?" she begged, "We have to all get out of here now, Jazz! What are you even doing her-,"

"Leaving so soon, my flower?" a deep voice mocked behind them as the air ship finally landed.

The group shifted to turn slightly, trying to keep both Jasper and Darcia with in their peripheral visions and attempted to push Cheza between them all protectively.

"Cheza, you were trying to lead them toward the moon before the prophecy of the blooded moon could take full effect weren't you? That won't do my dear, come with me and we shall find the true paradise together." Darcia extended a hand, "We won't even need your pesky red moon for the paradise I intend to open."

Shifting in a blink of an eye, Kiba snapped his teeth angrily and snarled while he stood between the frightened flower maiden and the half masked noble, "Don't touch her!" his downy white fur bristled in his anger.

"I haven't yet" Darcia said innocently, "Come to me Cheza" he took a step again, as if he meant no harm.

Heart had had enough of this man, "LEAVE HER ALONE!" she roared, whipping out both of her revolvers, cocked and ready, "EAT SILVER LED DOUCHE BAG!" and fired off the six rounds in each of the guns, twelve bullets in all, aimed at Darcias head, but the bullets bounced off an invisible shield and ricocheted back at the wolves, "TAKE COVER!" bullets whizzed pass the wolves and Heart get even more aggravated, "Fine, plan B!" she sheathed her weapons and shifted to her wolf form in one fluid motion, bolting forward ready to take out the human the old fashion way; Teeth and claws!

"Heart don't!" Tsume called, shifting to wolf form as well, watching in horror as she ran head long and suicidal at the arrogant noble man.

Darcia didn't even spare her a glance as a beam of energy shot out from the air ship and zapped at Heart squarely in the chest with a painful, 'ZAAAAABOOOOM!' as it struck her back. The others watched in horror as Heart screamed in mind numbing pain and was deflected forcefully backwards. Her limp body tumbled to the ground at an awkward angle and they could tell she was either out cold or worse.

Tsume was at her side in a heart beat, "Heart! Come on Heart! Wake up!" he nudged her face with his muzzle and whirled on Darcia, "YOU COWARDLY BASTARD!"

"That fly needed swatting," Darcia snorted, "She should know not to charge blindly at beings beyond her power."

"HEART!" Akira and Toboe sobbed while Hige rushed over to check on her as well. Hige took one sniff at her limp body and snarled angrily when he noticed Darcia hadn't even lifted a finger!

"THAT DOES IT!" the larger wolf eyed Tsume, and both had the same idea. With a war cry, the two charged at Darcia. Side by side, the two split off, trying to go at the ship in two different directions.

"Leave the noble fucker to me!" Tsume demanded with a ferocious bark, "Nobody strikes Heart like that and gets away with it while I still breathe!"

"Still breathe, eh? How about if I remendy that?" Darcia sighed as if he were bored.

The twosome charged together on opposite sides of the air ship to try and break through the defense system. This time, two beams of energy bolted out and zapped them both to the ground much like it had with Heart.

"Aaaaaaaaargh!" Tsume cried out as he flew backwards and tumbled in the sand.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" Hige rolled in the sand and slammed his head into the one rock that had to stick out in the sand with a painful yelp.

Each cry had Cheza hunching closer and closer to the ground as her panicked breathing increased to almost hyperventilation! She cried out, grasping her ears when she could hear the sound of Darcias footsteps in the sand come closer and closer, "No…No! make it go away! This one feels such pain! Make it go away!"

"It is foolishness that you wolves believe Cheza was sent here for you to go to paradise." Darcia chuckled nonchalantly as strolled forward, not the least bit put off that he may have killed three wolves and made the flower maiden cry in fear.

Akira bristled from her stupor of fear, "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER! A TAINTED CREATURE LIKE YOU HAS NO RIGHT TO EVEN STEP ON THE SAME EARTH AS CHEZA!" she snarled.

"You honestly believe she will bring you to paradise? Your paradise is all a lie you dull witted little fool."

"TAKE THAT BACK!" Akira demanded, standing taller, still in human form, "Paradise is real!"

"It may just be too real, indeed, my dear" Darcia said cryptically, "Now, hand me the flower maiden, and I shall leave what's left of your pack alive."


	13. Chapter 12 Hope so Frail

A/N- Time to end that Cliffhanger, ne? lol

Read and Review! Reviews keep the story going!

Chapter 12 Hope So Frail

Kiba lowered his head while his hackles under his soft, downy fur rose in anger. Keeping Darcia with in his sight, he addressed Akira who was still acting as a base support for the panicking Cheza.

"Akira, whatever happens, stay with Cheza and protect her!" he snarled.

"Kiba?" Akira didn't want to believe this was happening. She didn't want to understand why her brother was allied with this man some how and seemed like there was no second thought in his crazed mind to kill any one of them if they got out of line with this noble called Darcia. She had seen what happened to the warrior like wolves such as Heart or Tsume; they had yet to move from where that energy laser thing from the ship had zapped them to! And here Kiba was telling her to stay out of it??

Toboe got a brave steak and stood defensively in front of Cheza and Akira, bearing his fangs at Darcia, but keeping the prowling enemy wolf in his sight as well, "I got your back Kiba!" Toboe growled.

Kiba darted forward with more speed than Heart, Tsume or Hige had before him when they attacked. He seemed to flash out of sight like a phantom wolf under the moonlight sheen. Darcia however scoffed mockingly at the attempt when a laser shot out and delivered the very same blow to Kiba it had before to the others.

"You wolves are very pig headed aren't you." he sighed.

His blue eyes widened however when the laser narrowly missed the white wolf, it's powerful beam carving into the ground and throwing up debris and dust; shielding the white furred phantom. Again the lasers shot out, getting closer to its mark. The shock of it blew Kiba off track of his evasive maneuvers and knocked him right into another laser's beam. A pained yelp escaped him as it cut though his flesh.

"KIBA!" Akira barked in alarm while Toboe gasped anxiously in front of her and Cheza clung more tightly to her neck in fear. The flower maidens face buried in the thick red and white fur of the part-she-wolf's neck. The chained collar's cool metal pressing into the frightened maidens' cheek.

Darcia stopped his easy walk toward the others to watch as the dust settled; amused to see the wolf was struggling to get up.

"Very pig headed" he groused when the white one stood on all fours with a bit more difficulty than usual and prepared to attack again.

A loud battle cry like snarl turned the surprised Lord's attention to the youngest of the group, Toboe, who took advantage of the distraction to go into an attack himself.

"Fool!" Darcia held out a hand, signaling 2 lasers to zap out and attack the vulnerable young wolf. Toboe went flying back at the girls. His body didn't move when it settled from its tumble near Cheza. Cheza cried out as if in pain with horror.

"TOBOE!" Akira's tears started to blurry her vision. She caught movement from where Jasper was and looked up to see the silver white-gray wolf prowling toward Kiba who had gotten up again with vengeance after the lasers had tore into him once again in his failed attempt to ensnare Darcia vitally.

The white wolf didn't look like he would have a chance at the older, stronger ones attack from behind while all his energy was focused on Darcia. When he leaped in the air, Jasper darted forward for the kill. Akira acted on impulse and shot away from Cheza's terrified grasp before the flower could know what was going on.

"AKIRA!" Cheza screamed.

Kiba's golden eyes widened when he heard a very painful yelp behind him. Completely forgetting Darcia, the white wolf landed not 15 ft away from his intended prey and looked back to see Akira's half brother and herself locked in a confused jumble of fur, teeth and claws. Jasper had her pinned under him with surprise, realizing that was the wrong target under him. With an angered snarl, he shoved off her and started for Kiba again, leaving Akira to deal with her wounded shoulder from where his sharp fangs tore into her unintentionally. He didn't want to attack her, but Kiba he was fine with. His blood sang for a fight and his fangs were thirsting for blood of his 'brothers'' enemy, the white one.

But Akira didn't seem to allow that. She tossed herself with all her strength into his side to knock him down. Jasper snarled and started to try and wrestle the inferior female off him. In his current state of mind, he was barely able to restrict his violent thirst from her. His claws dug into her fur much as she desperately clawed at him to keep him put.

"Don't harm HER!" Darcia hissed furiously when he saw the siblings going at it and they started to get more brutal.

Kiba charged once more at Darcia, but he was shot back again. This time, he could feel his vision failing him and his muscles strain with pain from his wounds all over him. He landed next to Toboe near Cheza. The flower maiden approached the struggling wolf with a saddened expression while he tried to get up again. She knew he would keep hammering at this until he died to protect her and Akira. She rested her hand on the fur of his neck gently.

"No, Kiba. Do not fight for this one." She whispered.

"But… Cheza…" he rasped, still trying to get up.

"No, Kiba" she started to plead, "This one feels the pain of all of you. This one refuses to be the cause of this one's friends' pain. This one will go with Darcia willingly and peacefully" she whispered to him while his form stilled.

"No, Cheza, Don't go!" he pleaded desperately. His body betrayed him as it stilled when her gentle hand stroked his fur soothingly. Against his better judgment, his body relaxed as if he were about to sleep. He was in such pain…

"Stay, Kiba. This one will see you again" she whispered to him and then stood up to address Darcia, "This one will follow with out protest." She winced when she heard the fighting snarls and noises from Akira and Jasper still wrestling brutally, "Call off Jasper while this one says her goodbyes, please"

Darcia inclined his head, "Acceptable request" his eyes darted toward Jasper. As if by magic, the silvery wolf jumped away from his half sister from mid attack form. He obediently kept his fangs to himself, no longer snarling maliciously, and trotted to Darcia's side faithfully.

Akira panted for breath while Akira approached her, "Rest easy now, Akira. It is over now" Cheza set on hand on the K9's back to coax her to lay down and stroked her wounded fur marred deeper red with blood. She waited till Akira's panting evened out before she approached the other wolves, pushing her healing abilities into their wounds to help ease the pain and heal them while making their bodies relax enough to sleep peacefully.

Kiba stubbornly got up again and approached Cheza in a pained hobble near where Akira now lay. The flower maiden frowned when she sensed he had gotten up again, "Cheza" he wheezed through his strain, "Please…. Don't go" he pleaded in a whimper.

Cheza coaxed him to lay near Akira with a light smile and focused on _making _Kiba too tired to even think about coming after her just yet, "Rest, Kiba. Rest, and when you awaken and find this one no longer there with you in body, know that we will meet again. Until then, take care of your true soul mate. More than just I request that you take care of her at all costs and love her from the bottom of your heart" Cheza stroked his cheek fondly, then stood up to follow Jasper and Darcia back to the air ship. Kiba saw her walking away from him just as his world went black.

"Cheza …."

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Blue popped the collar of her leather jacket up closer to her while the wind whipped at her unforgivingly around her in the desert she trekked through on the trail of that heavenly scent of that girl who had awoken the wolf inside her. She always knew there was something not quite right with her, but being a wolf was a surprise. And ironic surprise that made her frown every time it crossed her thoughts. She had to leave Quent behind now. He would never want a wolf to follow him around. Even if she had been all he had. He probably doesn't even know where she is or why she left him.

"I wander how Pops is doing right now." She wistfully looked up to the waning moon and frowned. She lowered her gaze mournfully to her boot tops while she walked on, "Yeah, like he ever gave a damn about me." She whispered in self loath.

"_You're part wolf too, aren't you?" a calm, familiar voice softly spoke to her in a moment of vulnerability while Blue lay bloodied and beaten in the middle of the ally just minutes before the last time she saw Pops ever again, "A human must have done this," the wolf approached her and dug into her pack to toss her some meat, "Look, I don't have time for much, but some meat will at least help your healing along, if not enough strength to drag you from whence you came. My advice," the stranger paused to stare at Blue in the eye. Sapphire clashed with ruby and both felt like something had been there once before, "Don't bow down to any human from now on. You're wolf too and therefore in order to survive, you must buck up. You can't rely on them anymore." With that the strange part-she-wolf walked off._

'There's another like me…' Blue thought deeply, 'Another wolf blood yet also that of a dog as well.' She looked up. Her blue eyes seeing crimson eyes that were so familiar to her, 'Will I ever see her again? Who was she?' Blue thought with a sigh.

"It does me no good wandering about phantoms all the time" she stretched her arms above her head and paused a moment when her stomach growled. She grimaced.

"Damn I'm starved." She noticed the town that held a dominate scent of that enticingly curious maiden and those wolves she's been following led her, "Best find some food then" she started off into the town.

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"I feel like shit" Hige groaned from where he lounged in the small, abandoned building at the back of a dark ally the wolves found to rest in.

"You weren't the one who you landed on" Heart grumbled.

"Like I could WATCH where I was about to land while I was flying in the air!" Hige snapped moodily.

"With your weight problem, I can agree with you there" Tsume groused just as coolly.

"YOU GOT SOMTHIN TO SAY TO ME OL'MAN?!" Hige stood up threateningly.

"Bring it, Porky! We can feast on your liver after I tear you down piece by cocky piece!" Tsume snarled.

"Look whose talking!" Hige scoffed, "If I'm cocky, then you're so arrogant that your ego's big enough to satisfy the stomachs of the Death Forest Pack back there!"

Tsume stood up and was about to approach the annoying wolf when Toboe stood between them pleadingly.

"Come one guys, cut it out!" he begged lightly with how tired he is, "We're all worn out, let's just try and be a bit more civil."

"We're wolves, Toboe" Kiba snapped angrily, "Civil isn't in our blood or instinct! So shut the hell up and leave them be to tear each other apart. We all deserve that kind of retribution after we let down CHEZA!" he snarled.

Toboe was speechless.

Akira groaned very pissed off at Kiba's attitude with poor Toboe. The kid was only trying to help and he looked like he would fall over with shock with what Kiba slapped him with.

"Kiba" Akira warned.

"_What_ Bitch?" Kiba growled lowly at her at his side.

Akira just stared at him in disbelief, before she shook her head to dispel it, "Look, I know how you feel about letting Darcia take Cheza and all, but STOP TAKING IT OUT ON TOBOE!" she shouted at him angrily. The wolf had done nothing but snap and snarl at any and everyone around him since he awoke, "There was nothing we could do! Alright? We gave it our best shot and we failed miserably! All you lost was your _precious_ flower!" she hissed while tears welled up in her orange eyes. Her chin length red bangs started to cover her left eye and she didn't bother to push it behind her ear like usual, "I FOUND OUT THAT I LOST A BROTHER!"

Kiba snorted at her, "Whoop-di flipping do" he grumbled.

Akira couldn't take it anymore. She raised her hand up and slapped him open-handed across the cheek, "SNAP OUT OF IT! STOP BEING SO…. So…." She wasn't well versed in cussing so this part to describe her anger was very limited, "ARGH! JUST SO FUCKING MOTHER MEAN!"

Hige and the others exchanged a confused/amused glance behind her back, "Fucking…. Mother??"

Heart shrugged, "She's not big on the whole cursing thing."

Kiba was too shocked to react, but his eyes widened when he realized the truth to her words and he hung his head from where he froze after she slapped him, "I know…." He whispered, "Damn it all, I know what a bastard I'm being, but…. I …" he was at a loss.

Akira's rage deflated at the sudden heavily weighed atmosphere. She sighed, cursing his uncanny hold on not only her heart and body, but now her emotions. She was just thankful he hadn't yet figured that out yet.

Mindful of both of their wounds, Akira approached him from where she had backed away previously in her anger and slid her arms lovingly around him, letting his forehead rest on her shoulder. He took in her scent thankfully and held an arm around her waist, trying to pull her closer to him. Though Cheza was gone, and he felt the guilt of it strongly, having Akira so close to him did relieve his pain a great deal. His heart didn't feel so heavy with her near. In fact, it fluttered and stopped a beat every time their lips touched. Or she said his name.

Akira and Kiba ignored the others who were watching on curiously while the pair comforted each other in one another's embrace, "It's not yours or anyone else's fault that Cheza is gone. All we can do now is go after her and take her back. If Darcia could track us all over to take her away, so can we. Stop beating yourself over this." She soothed him while her fingers ran through his tousled dark hair.

He closed his eyes to soak up the small escape of his frustration, anger, pain, and stress.

"Akira…" he whispered close to her ear.

Hige straightened from where he and the others decided to recline against the wall to watch the serenity of the couple's private moment. He looked to the door in alert.

"We've got company!" he called.

The other wolves watched surprised when a young woman similar to Heart with short, full black hair and bright sapphire eyes dressed in black leather coat, Minnie skirt, pink scarf, and thigh high spiked heel black leather boots darted into the doors of their hide-away. Hige ogled at her happily.

"It's A BABE!" he happily announced.

"We didn't notice" Tsume grumbled.

The blue eyed woman looked over each one of them in surprise. She obviously didn't expect anyone to be here. When her eyes met crimson, she froze.

It was her!

Heart's nose snorted at the familiar scent of the female. It was the half-dog like her!

She was fully healed now, probably thanks to the full moon last night.

"STOP HER!"

"SHE WENT THIS WAY!"

"DON'T LET HER GET AWAY!"

Three different male voices were suddenly coupled with the sound of running feet just outside of their little hideaway from behind the blue eyed black wolf that just entered looking startled to have come upon the small pack.

Heart's Ruby eyes shifted from curiosity on the wolf to wryness at the door when 3 thuggish looking men followed their visitor. All with some type of makeshift weapon from a pipe, crow bar and a wooden piece of a table.

"Look, she's got friends," one of them smirked. He was in a white slightly scruffed business suit with dreadlocked brown hair and sunglasses.

Blue turned her back on the wolves to face her hunters and backed up a bit to put some distance, ready and willing to fight, but unsure of the pack behind her. She could still smell the flower with them, but it didn't seem as strong as before. She growled warningly even though she was in her human form.

Hige sauntered from behind her and stood firm between her and the 3 thugs, "What's a couple of shit heads like you doing with a girl like this?" he demanded cockily.

Heart noticed that the men didn't seem too taken back that there were more of them than just the girl. She tensed in preparation to defend her if Hige's mouth got too brash and angered the men to attack.

"You must not be from around here, are you?" the man on the right, a scrawny comparison to the brick on the left and the sly one in front snickered at them, patting his crow bar in his other palm teasingly.

"So what if we aren't?" Akira demanded threateningly as she took up Hige's side, shielding blue from the men's sight.

Blue was taken aback when she saw the red head defending her after what they had gone through before in the last city they met up in.

"Ooh, Another little girl?" the sly, dreadlock one smirk widened at the sight of little Akira as his hazed eyes raked over her form. Kiba didn't bother to let his snarl go unheard from behind Hige, the black female and Akira, "Profits are starting to look up today. This town is in high demand of young bodies. This broad you're defending so gallantly is our merchandise. And now, so are you"

"Whore slavers?" Hige snorted in disgust.

"That's part of it. These two ladies will probably end up on that market, but medical businesses need young, healthy parts for patients and testing….." the sly one drawled as he started to approach them.

Apparently, Heart's dark features camouflaged her in the dark corner she resided. None of the men saw her slip to their rear and position herself behind the large, gangly brick like man.

"And we're supposed to just go with this little scheme of yours, ne?" she said in her low, seductive way.

The brick man straightened in surprise as a shiver went up his spine. Not seconds later, she round house kicked the tall one with enough force to slam him into Tsume.

"You didn't really think we'd just hand over our bodies did ya?" Tsume looked livid at the tall mans sudden horrified expression when Tsume started wailing on him. Even when the guy fought back, Tsume was too fast for him to land a hit.

The other two men looked taken aback. The sly one turned to the scrawny with gritted teeth, "Get what you can and get out of here!"

"Ye-yeah! Okay!" the scrawny one gulped. He quickly chose to go after the smallest female, deciding that she looked like a weaker link than even the young boy her size. She had just turned away from him, intent on trying to get out of Hige's way from attacking the sly, dreadlock guy when his bony fingers wrapped around in a binding fist in her long slightly waved crimson tresses. Akira yelped in pain when she felt him yank her back.

"GOT YA!...?" he didn't have much reaction time before his hand was forcefully, yet careful of Akira's hair, ripped away from her and he was right-hooked to the face with such force he was knocked backwards on his rear. The scrawny thug shook his head of the dizziness and tried to get his bearings only to notice a dark shadow looming over him. On top him, a snarling white wolf bore its sharp fangs down on him with a snap of its jaws.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! IT'S THE CURSE! THE CURSE OF THE HOUSE OF DARCIA!!" he cried out in horror.

Kiba was getting high almost at the feel, the scent and the sight of this filths' fear and panic. He decided to have a little more fun and opened his jaws as if he were going to bite the man and rip him into pieces. He wanted to do so desperately since this piece of shit touched Akira and caused her pain, but knew she didn't like death. If he saw the human later with out her present,….. There wasn't anyone to rat him out to Akira if he "accidentally" killed him. He snapped his teeth at the man and stopped from biting him just in front of the man's nose, letting the human feel his hot breath and hear the snap of his teeth up close and personal.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHhhhhh……." The man's scream died out as he fainted under Kiba. The white wolf shoved off him with his nose crinkled in disgust…. The guy was scared shitless, literally, AND he had pissed himself.

He looked up to the others, "Let's go" he said, leading them out of the dark damp hideaway before the men woke up.

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"My love, my love, why do you not see me?" Jagura sang gently while she watched in a pool of purified, bewitched water move in a picture for her. She could see the inside of Darcia's keep as if it were her walking its halls personally.

"My love, my love, why did you not choose me?" she sang with a bit more hurt than before.

A woman with pinned up pigtails came into view. She seemed to be carrying a tray of utensils for something, but when her face was visible in the pool of water before Jagura, she dropped it in horror. The view was suddenly blurry and not a few seconds later did Jagura see the same woman pinned to the wall with 2 of the thicker utensils embedded into her palms to keep her there before the viewing continued to walk on.

"My love, my love, how you pain me so. For you chose a wretched wolf over this pure hearted doe." She sang on when door seemed to have been shoved aside and a dark room was revealed. A woman with long, cascading hair of silvery yellow color and purple lips and eyes was seen connected to thousands of small tubules that seemed to be pumping nutrients into her body while she lay motionless except for the small rise and fall of her chest, signifying that she was breathing.

It was Jagura's sister, Homina. The woman who held Darcia's heart. The woman who loved every part of Darcia and even set foot into the nobles paradise with him with ever intention of living the rest of her life with the cursed man she loved and loved her back. But… she had fallen ill with Paradise sickness. Her soul is forever trapped inside a paradise that is only a small, dim, reflection of what it could be. The real paradise opened by the blood of the moon, the wolf and the flower would be able to bring her sister salvation. But that is not what Jagura intends. It is what her beloved one-sided love, Darcia seeks, yet she must force him to see her and not her sister who was forever lost.

She would force him to love her. Her sister was gone and now she would be sure there was no body to return to. She would seal the fate the gods had allowed her to.

"Finish her" Jagura whispered.

On the other side of the water pool, green eyes bore down upon the slumbering beauty. Her mistress looked so much like this sleeping woman that it haunted Diya greatly to think of the reason she was sent here; what she was about to do. She let a small whimpered sigh escape her before she steeled herself to become the monster that her mistress had honed her to be. A cold killer.

The now cool green irises of a fox wolf glared down at the slumbered beauty with hate that reflected her mistress. Her eyes glowed purple while her mistress's power fused into her so she may live the moment her cursed sister died at the fangs of her servant. A creature that shadowed her loves' darker half. Ironic, wasn't that?

A snarl erupted and fangs bore down on the delicate throat. The machine hooked up cried out as the pulse of the slow beating heart suddenly froze for all time……..

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"Did you see the looks on their faces?!" Tsume chuckled maliciously from where he sat atop the pile of junk in an abandoned junkyard the group had retreated to, "I could smell the piss on all of them before we even hurt them!"

"That felt _really_ good!" Toboe grinned widely.

"I needed something like that" Kiba agreed with a smile of his own from where he sat just below them on the pile with Akira near by. He wasn't willing to let him out of his peripheral just yet.

Hige had eagerly chose to stand closer to where the black she wolf stood a bit away from the rest, just as satisfied with how it all worked out. Heart had chosen to stand closer to her out of curiosity. Both stole glances at one another every now and then, trying to figure out why they felt tied.

Akira sighed, "I still say you guys could have been less of a horror job on those humans, but I'm just glad we're all okay. No one's injuries were reopened were they?" she looked around to get negative nods from everyone.

"What about you? Are you okay?" Heart finally met Blue's eyes.

"Yeah, thanks for helping me back there." Blue said, shifting her eyes shyly away from the confusing rubies.

"It's not like we did it for _you,_ you know." Tsume gritted out harshly, killing the sudden lift of mood, "Those guys just caught us at a bad time is all."

"Tsume!" Heart warned with a light growl. He promptly ignored her threat, though he didn't seem too hurried to meet her glowering glare on him now.

"Hey, lighten up, old man! She was just trying to thank us." Hige defended then snorted, "You know, it's not like we run into girls much these days."

Heart's glare suddenly rounded on Hige who was much too close to shrug it off like Tsume was able to. Not only were daggering ruby eyes snarling at him, but piercing orange from Akira as well at the poorly placed comment as well.

Hige seemed to back pedal, "I-uh…. I didn't mean it like that, you know…."

"Sure you didn't" Heart hissed.

Hige backed toward the only female that seemed to not want to castrate him at the moment. Blue seemed very amused at the chubby wolf's behavior at the 2 pissed females' snarls of annoyance and laughed at him at his expense. It made Hige feel warm inside to hear that noise come from her and turned around to stare in awe.

Heart's growl faltered out at the ogling look she saw in the other wolf's eyes and Akira couldn't contain a giggle at how funny he looked.

"Is he always like this?" Blue addressed them since they didn't seem as hostile as the other males around them.

Heart chuckled, "You have no idea. His name is Hige by they way, and this is Akira and I am Heart." She didn't bother to introduce the other 3 since they obviously wanted nothing to do with the she wolf for one reason or another. Even Toboe seemed hostile against her.

"My name is … Blue." Blue replied 'at least that's the name Pops gave me' she thought as an after thought. Her blue eyes looked up from their bashful down cast to settle on the 3 above the 2 females and corky male in front of her on the trash pile, "It's been a while hasn't it?" she called to them. Then her blue eyes settled on Akira, "Sorry about before, no hard feelings?"

"All is forgiven. I won't attack you in my sleep. I can't seem to hold grudges very well" Akira smiled reassuringly.

"Wait a second, you guys know each other??" Hige gawked at the others.

"You could say that" Kiba grumbled unwillingly.

Akira shot him a confused look, 'What's his problem now?' she thought.

"How are your wounds? Last I saw you, you looked pretty beat up." Heart asked softly.

"I'm okay now. Thanks for the food though. I know it helped a bit." Blue thanked gratefully.

"You gave her _food_" Tsume demanded.

"It is no concern of yours Tsume, so leave it at that. It was my good deed," Heart defended at his accusing tone with a light growl.

"DOES EVERYBODY BUT ME KNOW HER?!" Hige whined.

"Just about" Toboe mumbled, much like Kiba had.

"Then why are you guys all hostile and Akira and Heart are civil with her? And what's with the 'no hard feelings, forgiveness' thing, Akira?" he looked to the red she wolf that was still resting near Kiba, but looking unsure of the way things were going with this.

"Her human and she had hunted me because of a….. Misunderstanding…" Akira hesitated, "I don't hold her against it though"

"You hardly hold anyone against anything though" Kiba countered dryly.

Akira lightly glared at him.

"You did some pretty nasty things to us last time we met, too" Tsume said lowly to Blue. Still as accusing as ever.

"That old guy… where is he?" Toboe hesitated.

"We got separated in the last city" Blue turned away from them as the memory of why she actually hadn't bothered to go back to him resurfaced in small flashes.

"He was still tracking us there as well" Kiba nodded.

"I know he was; that's why he was there and he attacked Akira when he thought she had killed a young boy. He just went berserk after she escaped and it finally lead up to us getting separated after I was too wounded to follow him" she admitted.

Akira turned away when she mentioned the boy, "I am sorry that he misunderstood that." She said softly.

"It's not your fault" Blue reassured, "Pops would follow a wolf to the ends of the earth regardless of what you've done or haven't done." Blue looked back warmly at Akira when their understanding gaze met.

"But…. I don't get it, aren't you a wolf too?" Toboe tilted his head, his uncharacteristic hostility melting away as he started to understand things from Blue's point of view.

Blue's eyes suddenly brightened when she was upwind of Akira and caught the scent of Lunar flower.

"Hey, that girl, you know the one that was with you? She had a really strange scent. Like yours' Akira, but …. Stronger I guess" Blue's eyes darted around them hopefully.

"A girl?" Toboe echoed curiously, then his features faltered, "You mean Cheza?"

"Cheza?" Blue tried out the name, "Yeah, where is she?"

It suddenly got really quiet.

Hige jumped up quickly to change subject, "UUUH, _about that_" he laughed nervously, "Let's just say that's not something to talk about right now!"

Blue looked at him strangely for his sudden change in attitude at the subject she brought up and the sudden pained faces on the others. Had she said something wrong?

"Hey! I know!" Hige's fist tapped his palm with an epiphany moment, "Let's go get some food! I mean we did just bump into each other and it's not safe for a girl to be out wandering alone!" he chuckled eagerly, "Those guys we knocked silly back there is proof enough!"

"Not. A. Chance." Tsume cut him off.

"Why _not_?!" Hige shot back with venom.

"As if, Porky" Tsume snorted with a roll of his eyes, "I'd never lower myself to stick around the likes of her. I mean, she was doing all she could to kill us not a week ago."

"_YEAH, _BUT," Hige tried to argue.

"You know you're only saying that 'cause it didn't happen to you," Toboe said dryly.

"HEY! She attacked Akira too, didn't she? And look at _her_! You don't see Akira getting all hostile and moody!" Hige defended.

"That's hardly a good defense for them to go by and you know it" Heart sighed.

Blue laughed lightly, "It's okay. I don't wanna hang around a bunch of kids anyways." She turned to Heart with a solemn nod, "Thanks again. I owe you sometime." She then winked at Hige, "See ya later" and then she turned to leave.

"HEY! WAIT UP!" Hige turned to the others and snarled, "ARGH! Don't you think you guys are just a little bit too cold!?" he then plowed down the mountain of trash after her.

"HIGE!" Toboe called.

"Let him go, he wags his tail after anything that's got four legs, is canine and female." Tsume snorted.

Heart was suddenly behind him snarling, "_DON'T _talk about her like that!" she warned.

"What's it to you?" he growled back tauntingly.

Heart's snarl stopped abruptly and she straightened. Only a flash of confused pain crossed her face before it was hidden behind her nose long bangs.

Akira got up worriedly and approached her friend, "Heart? Are you okay?"

Heart looked down at her a moment then turned on her heels away from all 3 of them, "I'm leaving for awhile. Don't wait up for me, I'll catch up" she said coldly.

"What?" Toboe blinked.

Akira's eyes widened suddenly, "No, Heart! Wait!" but it was too late, Heart was gone, "Grah! First Hige chases after Blue and now Tsume chases Heart away!" she groaned stressed out.

"And that's my fault, why?" Tsume dryly looked over his shoulder at her.

Akira glared down at him and put her fists on her hips as she stood over him in anger at his stupidity, "THINK FOR JUST TWO SECONDS WITH YOUR 'I'M-TOO-MUCH-OF-A-BADASS-TO-CARE' BRAIN AND FIGURE IT OUT FOR YOURSELF FOR ONCE!" she shouted at him then started to storm off after Heart to try and calm her back down.

Tsume blinked. Not one, but BOTH of the females of the pack had just blown up in his face and he still didn't quite get why or why he seemed to care! He turned to the remaining members of his pack with confusion written all over his face.

"Don't look at me, you're a big boy now, you should know what you did" Kiba groused, while he lay down to get comfortable. Toboe was torn between following Akira after Heart and staying here with Kiba and Tsume. Finally, the young wolf sat down near where the older two lay resting.

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Jasper was once more in his human form, following unwillingly after his 'brother' into his keep with Akira at Jasper's side. He could see why the others liked to keep her near them, she smelled as good as when he worked at the keep she was once held in at FreeCity with the rest of his family.

Cheza clung to his strong arm while he led her following Darcia in. he could tell she had calmed down, but her sweet scent was still spiced with fear. When he allowed her to cling to his arm, he noticed that even that small fear was dampened just from her touching him. Was if because he was a wolf? Didn't see sense that he was tainted now? With a humans eye to counter Darcia's curse from a doomed fate to a fate that was slowly turning the noble back to his true form his family and so many other humans once were? A wolf?

Jasper stiffened a moment when a strange scent came across him. He took a few sniffs before his eyes widened in shock. Darcia noticed his hesitation and stopped as well, "What is it, my brother?" he asked calmly.

"Blood. I smell the scent of blood. Mixtures of it from inside the keep!" Darcia's heart stopped.

"Do you sense anything else?" he demanded.

Jasper's lips pulled back in a snarl. The foul scent of the only thing he hated more than Darcia, Jagura.

"Jagura has been here." he said darkly.

Darcia sprinted forward, "HOMINA!" he cried out to the heavens.

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"Hige's been gone for a while now, don't you think, guys? And what about Heart and Akira?" Toboe was once again on his feet pacing anxiously for his friends to return, "It's already sundown. Shouldn't we go after them?"

"Hige will come slumping back once he's been dumped and as for the girls…." Tsume sat up to look Toboe in the eye, "Do you really want to go after 2 pissed off females alone?" he taunted.

Toboe gulped, "Well…. I'm just gonna go look for Hige. You know, check up on him. I don't like just sitting here doing nothing" with that, Toboe started off to find Hige.

Kiba and Tsume relaxed and took the waiting time for a bit of some R&R with a sigh. Kiba's eyes spotted a familiar symbol on a stone that was ancient leftovers apparently.

"That's the same symbol from that Darcia clan Tower a while back." He commented briefly.

"Hmn" Tsume looked over his shoulder to gauge the symbol himself, "We're still probably in that fallen Lord's territory then"

It was silent for a while.

" 'The Darcia-Clans' Curse'. That's what that guy said when he saw us." Kiba said thoughtfully.

"Humans have always referred to our kind with some type of Curse. It's nothing big" Tsume smirked. Then a thought came to him. He glanced over at Kiba, "By the way, why did you stop just short of finishing him? I'd have thought that you of all people would jump at the chance to kill a human."

"Even if I did, I doubt he would have tasted great" Kiba shrugged nonchalantly.

Tsume chuckled, "I'll give you that, but I know that can't be the only reason. That couldn't have been what stopped you." he pried.

Kiba was quiet for a moment as he watched the twilight start to brighten the sky before it faded to darkness of the night.

"I just couldn't bring myself to do that….. Not in front of her." Kiba admitted.

"Her as in Akira, I'm guessing" Tsume smirked, "Now why would that matter? She's a wolf isn't she? Even if she's not a full blood, she understands what you are and how we think"

"She's still…. Different. She's convinced that humans and wolves or anything else regardless of species shouldn't be above one or the other." He sighed, "If I had killed them in front of her, she wouldn't be storming off just because you pissed off Heart and didn't catch on why or how you did."

"Sounds like someone's whooped." Tsume snickered.

"And someone's not as perceptive as most of the male species." Kiba shot back smartly, "Have you figured out why Heart defended the half-breed yet?"

Tsume snarled and turned away almost pouting, "What's it matter anyways?"

The corner of Kiba's mouth quirked up in a small smirk of his own as the tables turned, "Just so you don't look even more like an idiot when she returns…. She defended Blue because they're one and the same. Blue only found she was part wolf when Cheza touched her and told her she was. That's what woke her wolf blood probably. Then there's Heart, who is part dog and wolf. It's hard these days to find a kindred spirit even when you're a full wolf, yet Heart and Blue are both the same. Dog and wolf. Akira's ancestor was a fox somewhere on back, so she can only kind of sympathize with Heart. Heart took it wrong when you said you wouldn't stick around with the likes of 'her'. She probably took it that you're still hostile toward half breeds and didn't trust them. Meaning her."

"And you thought of all this at the same time she was playing it out?" Tsume grumbled.

"It's been a few hours, and I've had nothing else to really do in the mean time." Kiba smiled.

Tsume shook his head, "You're all just over perceptive. You read in too much to things." With that, Tsume turned away from the other wolf. Waiting for the others to return.


	14. Chapter 13 Revived Lulabye

A/N- Well, unfortunately I am in the middle of an ice-storm here in Oklahoma and if you've been paying attention to the news as of late, we've been hit with a triple wammy. Anyways, It's been a bit hasslesome to try and get on the internet as of late since I have to share one computer with a lot of relatives that have crowded to out place since we have power. (feels crowded) all I have is my laptop and my room to myself. So as you can see, it's not that comfy here. but I was able to sneak on.

Happy holidays!

Chapter 13 Revived Lullaby

Heart watched on from a distance carefully as Blue walked around town with Hige on her heels like a love sick puppy. She sighed and turned away annoyed at herself for stalking after them after she pointedly left in the opposite direction. They seemed to be having a heart to heart moment anyways on that bridge during the sunset.

'How romantic' she thought sarcastically. It was no offence meant toward the probably blooming couple; Heart was just annoyed with her sudden obsession with keeping Blue somehow safe. The reason why escaped her though. It felt like her very being called out to her to keep Blue safe. Heart shook her head and rested her forehead in her palm.

"Why me" she sighed.

"Heart?"

Heart looked up to see Akira had joined her on the roof.

"Heart are you okay? Did Tsume really hurt you that bad?" she whimpered.

Heart smiled, "Tsume just brought up a touchy point for me." Heart insisted as if it were nothing.

Akira didn't buy it all the way, "Heart, I know it hurt you because she's a half blood too, just like you, but why did you run away like that?"

Heart held her breath for a moment, "I …. I really don't know. I just feel so…. Protective of her." Heart said with a depressed/confused sigh as she looked down at the couple below on the bridge.

Akira was silent a moment, then she slowly approached Heart's side to watch on the couple at her side. A small smile lifting her lips.

"Hige sure is trying hard, isn't he?" she smiled.

Heart couldn't contain a small smile either, "I'll say. He's been following around her like the love sick puppy he's become over her since she left the dump."

"It reminds me of Jasper's first crush on a German Shepard dog back at the Keep before Cheza even arrived. We were just pups back then though and she was fully grown and uninterested, but Jasper certainly tried for her. Even if it proved a failure from the start. It was a good laugh." Akira laughed lightly.

Heart froze a moment when something clicked…. Sibling.

"It can't be….." she whispered.

"Nah, I know you'd Think that with the way Jasper turned out now that no female has ever turned him down, but let me tell you…," Akira continued with out a hitch.

"Akira,"

"Huh?" Akira stopped her rambling suddenly.

"How much do I look like her?"

"You mean Blue?" Akira looked down at Blue, then back at Heart curiously, "Now that you mention it the only real difference between you two is the eyes and how long your hair is. Other than that…."

"Exactly" Heart said in a low whisper as she turned from the view of the bridge in thought, "You remember when I told you I once had a sibling?"

"And the forest fire……."Akira started to catch on, "You think Blue is your long lost sister?"

"It makes sense…. She doesn't remember anything before Quent found her as a pup, she's part wolf and never knew it, and she's so similar to me… I also feel a bond to her with out even knowing her for very long."

"It sounds right" Akira agreed then looked down at Hige with an excited smile, "I'll bet Hige could tell! He's got a stronger sense of smell than the rest of us! We just have to keep Tsume off him when he smells you up."

"Like Tsume has a defining position in it regardless or not" Heart spat.

Akira could tell she still had it out for Tsume's stupid, miss placed comment about Blue. She wasn't kidding about the sibling protectiveness.

"Even so… we should see what Hige can get from it. Just to confirm,"

"No" Heart said.

"What?? Why??"

"Blue and I were raised differently. She has a human family to think of now and she seems like she's still attached to it. If I were to claim family to her, she'd be obliged to leave her life that she knows to follow us." Heart said.

"But Heart, she should have the right to know!"

"Don't make this a dramatic arch or anything Akira, she only left her human because she found out she's a wolf and doesn't quite know how to handle it. Once she's secure with whom she is, Blue will probably eventually return to her old life."

"Blue, you're only going to make things more difficult if you don't tell someone about this!" Akira snapped.

Heart smiled at her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I told you didn't I? Besides, Hige will probably sniff it out sooner or later" with that, Heart started to stroll away, "I'm famished, let's catch a bite to eat then return to the boys and see if Tsume's figured it out yet"

"You're not mad at him?" Akira trotted to catch up.

Heart snorted, "Feh, Hell yeah I'm still pissed at him, but knowing he doesn't have a clue why and it probably squirming around trying to get it is more than satisfying to me for now."

"I never want to be on your bad side," Akira gulped.

"I have a feeling you're one of a few who never will" Heart reassured while the two of them walked off to get something to eat.

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Darcia was in pain. His heart wept for his lost love; she had fallen victim of the Paradise illness and now was murdered in cold blood! Her delicate throat was marred with jagged tear marks and the tubes that once fed her nutrients in her slumber were torn away from her body, yet other than that, her perfectly beautiful face had been untouched. Her lavender eyes were even half open as if she were about to awake, but he knew she never would. Jasper had hastily escorted Cheza away from the distraught lord while he howled in pain. His lungs were getting heavier and heavier as if his heart was trying to slowly squeeze the air out of him so that he may suffocate and join Homina in her everlasting slumber of death.

He now knelt in the only corner the light of the window allowed to touch. His face full of tears held in his palms as he willed the sobs to go away. What was he to do now? He wanted to open paradise to create a heaven for just the 2 of them to live forever, but with out Homina, what was there left? 

_Take it anyway! _ A dark voice curled the suggestion around him, _Take Paradise as your own and bring her back! _

It snarled with venom at him. He could almost see glowing eyes of a monster with horrifying sharp fangs in his mind. A shot of pain surged through his body and he fell forward to the marble floor clutching his chest while he gasped for breath. His blue eyes widened in realization of what that voice was. It was happening. The wolf blood he shared with Jasper was finally taking its hold on his body. His senses started to get clearer, and from then on, he knew they would get sharper. His wolf half was coming to light…

In another room, Jasper watched over Cheza dutifully while she slept in his quarters. He didn't know where else to put her so he let her have his bed and he chose the floor for the night. Pain throbbed his entire being lightly as if his blood was starting to set fire to its' self. He gritted his teeth and cursed Darcia for putting such a curse on him to tie him down. He no longer felt like a wolf, but a flea bitten obedient dog…. A dog of a noble no less.

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"Dear," an old woman said in awe at what she was seeing, "Dear, come out her! Come look!"

"Myra? Myra what is it" an old man replied from inside his motor-home. He opened the screen door and gasped when he saw 2 large dogs; one look strikingly like an enlarged version of a red fox and the other was midnight black with ruby eyes and an upside down heart on her forehead. Both looked so majestic, yet out of place the way they were sniffing at garbage cans for food.

"Careful, Myra, there're just a couple of strays" he warned.

"Oh, Solomon," Myra chastised with a smile, "They haven't hurt anything, they're just hungry." She suddenly got an idea "You know, I'll bet we have some scraps in the back they could have."

"Myra, I'm telling you, feed a few strays and you get the whole lot. Leave'em be." Solomon groused, but couldn't help watch the pretty animals.

"They don't look all that bad" Akira said to Heart from where the two timidly searched though the garbage, "And did'ja hear the lady? She said she might have scraps!"

"Yeah, but that guy, Solomon she called him, seems like he'll make _us _scraps if we don't keep our distance with that shot gun in his hands. Older humans tend to be a bit more….. Unstable than usual. We should stay away from them" Heart argued.

Akira was about to argue when the sound of a gunshot echoed around them. Akira leaped in surprise and bolted instinctively around the motor-home in fear with Heart at her heels.

"Lord in heaven, what was that!" Myra gasped while she looked behind the motor-home to check on the shivering 'dogs', "Poor things are scared to death! Solomon, we can't just leave them like that"

"Do what you will, woman" Solomon grumbled, but stay very close ta here, that gun shot don't sound too friendly."

"Where'd it come from?? It sounded close to me!" Akira whimpered at Heart's side.

"Hell if I know, it echoed too much on the walls for me to pinpoint even if I were thinking of trying to." Heart started to calm down.

Their fur stood on end when another gunshot sounded.

"Do you think it's Kiba and Tsume?" Akira whispered afraid.

"Shit" Heart paused before answering as that thought sunk in.

suddenly, Solomon cocked his shot gun and aimed at a new pair that had just ran around the corner out of breath, Kiba held up a hand to stop Tsume when he noticed the gun pointed.

"Solomon! It's just a couple of boys! Put the gun away!" Myra snapped.

Akira and Heart peered from behind the woman's skit to see the other two wolves in human form cautiously sizing up the old man with gunpoint.

"Double shit" Heart groaned.

"I may be old, Myra, but I ain't blind! Those strays are wolves and so are these guys!" he snarled, "You stay back from here!" he shouted.

"We don't mean any harm, just let us pass and we won't bother you" Kiba held up his hands disarmingly.

Old Solomon seemed to heed his explanation as he lowered his gun, but it came back with vengeance when Hige, Toboe and Blue came to the area of view as well.

"HA! Ya brought more with ya!" he yelped and aimed his gun, a black streak of fur blurred past the boys and Solomon shot at it in reflex of the sudden movement. Blue easily dodged the bullet and appeared before the old man sitting down with her head lowered cutely and ears flopped down. Big blue eyes gazed up at him pleadingly and effectively disarmed the old mans suspicion that these wolves would hurt him.

Solomon lowered his gun unsure.

"Just leave us alone" he sighed almost pleading now.

The gun shots were getting closer.

"Those guys back there are too close now; they're going to capture us to sell to the next highest bidder if you don't do something about it." Tsume snarled aggravated.

"It's in your hands if there's bloodshed here" Kiba said softly, "I don't want to kill unless it is necessary. I don't want to take unnecessary life anymore"

Akira's eyes widened at Kiba's confession. Wasn't this the wolf who saw humans as an enemy to be spilt entirely of their blood at the first chance?

The old man hung his head in defeat, "I have an idea"

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"I SAW THEM GO THIS WAY!" the dreadlock man cackled excitedly at the rush of the wolf hunt. Pay back seemed to become a bitch for those poor creatures, but he wasn't mourning over it!

"HAHA! JAGURA'S PEOPLE'LL PAY A SMALL FORTUNE FOR THOSE FLEA BAGS!" a chubbier man that had joined the 3 that were attacked snickered.

They slowed suddenly when a different gun was shot in front of them.

"What the…?" the scrawny one cocked his head to the side in disbelief.

In front of them was an old couple whom owned a parked Motor-home. The old man was being held back by his wife while he rapidly shot down at something in the dusty ground. The men's eyes widened in horror when they saw fur.

"YOU KILLED THEM?!" the dreadlocked one whined.

"Stupid animals got too close to my property! They's dangerous you know!" Solomon rasped and shoved his wife off his shoulder while she pleaded for him to calm down, "I WILL NOT REST TILL THEY'S ALL DEAD, YA HEAR WOMAN?!" he snapped at her.

"Dear please!" she begged.

The men looked dismayed at the 'dead' canine prey they had sought after, "There goes a few small fortunes to last a life time down the drain. They're worth nothing dead." The scrawny one huffed in a pout.

"Did ya need something boys?" Solomon growled grumpily.

"No sir." The large brick one gulped.

"We're sorry to have bothered ya old man." The scrawny one apologized looking longingly at the 'dead' bodies.

"Lets' jet boys. Nothing else to be done here. Be seeing ya pops" the dreadlock man mock saluted as he lead his gang off.

Solomon and Myra waited till they were out of sight before smiling to one another, "You can drop it now, they're all gone." Myra called to the wolves.

Tsume limped out from behind the motor-home with Heart helping him keep balance. Hige, Toboe, Akira, Blue and Kiba stood up from where they lay playing 'dead' with wide grins on their faces.

"Thank you for covering for us" Akira bowed her head respectfully in human form.

Solomon lightly smiled, his hostility seemingly have left him, "It was no trouble. It's the least I could do for turning a gun on ya." He sweat dropped.

"How about I rub up some grub for you all to eat and we'll call it even?" Myra suggested with a smile.

"REALLY?" Hige perked up.

"ALRIGHT!" Toboe jumped up excitedly.

"Thanks soooo much!" Akira hugged the elderly couple with out a second thought.

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"What do you see my Lady?" a faithful servant asked Jagura while Jagura sat in the circle of fire light and chants of priest and alchemists.

Violet eyes slowly opened, "Darcia has the flower with in his grasp. His heart weeps for my sister Homina's death, yet he is too far along in his transformation to stop the inevitable pursuit for paradise ….. He is confused" she chuckled the last part, lifting her head from its awkward angle that she leaned it back on. Her eyes resting on the bowing wolf servant just out of her alchemy circle. The dark magic didn't permit the wolf blooded beast to step a paw in it, Diya had to wait patiently for her mistress.

"Diya, go to the keep. Make certain my soldiers obtain my flower."

Diya's head bowed lower, "My mistresses' will is my own. It shall be done, Milady" the wolf's gentle voice rang out of the quiet shadows. A silver bell against the monotone chanting.

Jagura took the proffered wine glass made of silver from the servant that bowed to her at the wave of her finger. She lifted it to her lips and inhaled deeply and sighed, "A toast, to the flower maiden, the wolves and my paradise that shall soon come to be" she held up the glass and tipped it to drink. A small streak of thick, red liquid escaped and drizzled down her chin. The alchemic circle purified the liquid as it touched its symbols when it dripped. Wolfs blood coated the mistress's lips as she smiled darkly looking up at the waning moon, "Soon, my dear Cheza shall come to me. And with her, the rest of the wolves shall fall while I carve a paradise fit for both he and I" she laughed to the heavens in delight while her Diya was dashing toward Lord Darcia's keep.

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"Darcia's Keep you say?" Solomon repeated after Kiba asked about the Darcia's family home, "It's just due west of here."

"It was once such a beautiful place, full of greenery and flowers, yet now…." Myra sighed wistfully.

"Now, it's a piece of crap like the rest of this wretched planet." Solomon groused.

Blue rested with Heart in their wolf forms lying on their sides against one another's' back, having already had their fill of food. Toboe sat near Hige, both still stuffing their faces while Kiba and Tsume lounged on the set up table Myra had set up for them. Akira sat holding her knees to her chest in human form closer to Solomon's chair. She sat in front of him, facing him so she could talk more easily with him and Myra. Until Kiba had brought up the fact that they were on a journey after the Darcia clan.

"What would a nice bunch of sweet things like you going to a dump like that for?" Myra asked kindly.

The pack was quiet. They all had varying degrees of long faces.

"Was it something you said?" Solomon whispered to his wife when they shared a baffled look.

"No, you said nothing wrong," Akira reassured, "We….. We lost a dear friend. The only way we know to get her back is through that keep."

"Then what are you doing here for?" Solomon smiled brightly. His wife mirrored his expression.

"Solomon's right, there's a storm coming, but you should be able to still make good time before it hits if you leave now. Hurry, you've got someone depending on you young ones" she waved them off.

Hige looked to Tsume and Kiba, "Well?"

Kiba looked to the west, "Let's go then. To Cheza" he said as he got up. The others followed wordlessly.

Akira lagged behind to hug the couple once more, "May good things come your way." She thanked them.

"Go on now, girl, or you'll get left behind" the old man grumbled with a smile.

"You'll all be in our prayers dear" Myra said warmly as Akira dashed off after the others into the snow fall.

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Jasper looked down the keep's tower window. It was unusually boring. Darcia was brooding and Cheza was sleeping. Nothing to do but stare out at the snow fall…. Joy.

With a heavy sigh he turned away from the window, leaving it open.

Cheza shivered from the cool wind and sneezed in her sleep. Jazz looked at her curiously, then at the window. It was jammed open in the first place. He had already tried to close it with no success, but the wind didn't bother him, he was a wolf after all, his fur kept him warm. But Cheza was a plant.

Approaching the bed, he was about to curl around her so his fur would keep them both warm when another anguished and pained stab shot through him, an echo of Darcia's pain through the bond that was warring with the humans' newfound wolf instincts to still seek paradise were tearing the confused lord apart. Jasper could care-less really, so long as he didn't go suicidal just yet. No need to drag HIM down as well until the human was able to faze into a wolf on his own with out the aid of the blood bond. At that point, Jasper knew he would gain back his will, salvation, and freedom once more.

He gritted his teeth at the onslaught of conflicting feelings one after another through the bond hit him.

'I just have to wait it out…..' he repeated to himself.

_**The flower!**_

_Hm?_ Jasper blinked at the sudden command in his mind.

_**The flower! Bring me my flower!**_ Darcia's voice was husky and more wolfish.

Jasper was uncertain, but his body couldn't disobey Darcia's command. Gently, he nudged Cheza awake.

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The wolves were fighting to walk through the snow now, the blizzard had taken a roundabout turn for the worst and forced them to a walk or freeze to death.

The pack had formed a makeshift line with Kiba leading. Tsume at his flank with Hige a bit behind him. Akira and Toboe huddled close while they fought to walk through the deep snow, neither large enough to battle both deep snow and blizzard winds alone. Heart walked at an angle almost directly in front of Blue, trying to shield her from the wind as much as possible.

Hige looked back to let his eyes rest from the pound of the wind on them and saw the 4 behind him lagging exhausted from the constant battle of the icy element of the blizzard.

"Maybe we should stop?!" he called to the others.

"Fat Chance! We're fine!" Heart shouted back.

"We can handle it!" Toboe nodded with a shaking shiver.

"Just worry about yourself!" Blue called back from behind Heart's larger frame.

Hige and Tsume exchanged concerned glances (yep, it's bad enough that Tsume's worried. That's gotta be bad!) Hige turned back to call after their 'leader'.

"KIBA! WE SHOULD PROBABLY STOP FOR A WHILE AND WAIT THIS OUT!" he shouted louder since Kiba had gained more ground.

"We're not stopping! We can make it through this!" Kiba called back.

Hige looked slapped, "NO WE CANT, NOT WITH WOMEN AND A YOUNG KID!" Hige defended, "LOOK AT THEM ALL, _THEY'RE EXHAUSTED_!!"

"I-I'll be okay!" Akira reassured, doubling her efforts though her muscles protested strenuously.

"YEAH! ME TOO!" Toboe said a bit more put off.

"You know he's only saying that because it's actually _him _that's tired right?" Tsume snorted over the wind as Kiba finally doubled back to hear them better.

Hige growled under his breath.

"Yet, Porky does have a point." Tsume looked up at Kiba piercingly.

"We should keep pushing. We can make it for Cheza's sake!" Kiba demanded.

"We can't defend her if we're all half dead to begin with!" Heart argued when she and the others caught up panting.

"Sorry, Kiba, but I just can't take much more of this" Akira panted, "We should rest at least a little bit."

"We'll take refuge under those rocks. Come on" Tsume took the lead, the others followed gratefully behind.

"You think you can make it a bit longer?" Hige asked concerned. Akira, Heart and Toboe knew that he was worried about Blue.

"Like I said before," Blue passed him at Hearts' side, she seemed comfortable near the elder she wolf that shared so much similarities with her, "Look after yourself. We're fine."

Hige followed behind them, making sure they weren't lagging behind. Toboe was at his side now, using the large wolf as a wind breaker that Akira couldn't be. Akira herself stood and waited for Kiba. The white wolf looked like a ghost in the blizzard. His golden yellow eyes one of the few hints he was even there. He looked over his shoulder to the west as if he were going to go anyways.

He was a stark comparison to her blood red, black and white mixed fur. In this habitat, Akira stood out like a spot of blood on a pure soul. While Kiba stood proud as ever in the howling storm, Akira's head rested close to her shoulders and her tail was tucked under her. She was trying to stay as warm as possible.

"Kiba?" Akira whimpered uncertain.

Kiba looked back to her shivering form that she tried to hold together.

"Kiba, if you really want to go after Cheza through the st-storm" her shivering started to make her stutter a bit, "I'll follow you." she said faithfully.

Kiba really wanted to go after Cheza as quickly as possible, but not at the price of Akira freezing to death. She wasn't built to last in a wintry blizzard storm, and he knew that if he left, she would follow him.

With a heavy resigned sigh, Kiba walked toward her, making sure to block the wind as best he could for her while he walked with her to the shelter the others already took homage in.

"Just till the storm lets up." He said softly.

Akira looked up at him with concerned, but thankful orange eyes and smiled. She licked his furry cheek with her still warm tongue (one of the few things still warm). Kiba nosed her with his muzzle to hurry up.

"You're going to freeze to death out here, hurry up and get in there" he spurred her faster to shelter.

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"If you're just going to keep staring out at that sheet of ice out there, you should have just left us and gone after Cheza alone" Tsume groused at Kiba almost darkly.

Most of the pack was huddled at the back of the cave formed by the rock formation. Toboe was huddled at Heart's side while Blue was curled on the other side of Heart. Hige lay relaxed near Blue, but respectful of her space since Heart growled a warning to him when he got too close for the elder wolf's liking. He didn't quite grasp why it would bother Heart, but wrote it off that she just didn't want him playing around like that with Blue so close to herself. Tsume ironically was lying in front of Heart, letting the tired she wolf to rest her head on his back. Everyone but Tsume and Kiba were asleep right now. Akira was one of the first to have fallen asleep when Kiba helped lead her to the rock formation. Once they had arrived, Kiba helped her get comfortable at the back of the cave with the others and then stood up to go sit impatiently at the front of the cave near the howling winds, seldom taking his human eyes off the snow outside.

His blue eyes darted annoyed to Tsume's wolf form before they rested on Akira's red fur where she huddled against Toboe and Heart asleep. Looking for all the world like a pup snuggling up to it's siblings the way they all molded against one another to keep warm while they slept.

He didn't answer Tsume's jibes at him as he silently returned his blue gaze to the winter storm once more.

Tsume growled frustrated, "I can tell you really want to go, why are you stalling if you're so hell-bent and addicted to that flower?!"

"I promised that I wouldn't leave her." Kiba said quietly.

"You do know _she _left _us_ right?" Tsume snorted.

Kiba's eyes hardened, "She _didn't _go on her own choice! She did that to save _us_! And that's not whom I was talking about anyways!" he snapped.

Tsume's golden eyes looked over his shoulder at Akira's sleeping form on the other side of the small heap of fur and then at Kiba, a disapproving look in his eyes, "You're one twisted guy you know? Promising Akira all these things when you're addicted to a flower maiden that's got you so obsessed you cant pull your head out of your ass even an inch to listen to reason anymore!" he bit out.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Kiba snarled, "I haven't left her!"

"On your own free will or Cheza's plea?" Tsume accused, "If you're just going to keep straddling the fine line between the two, leave Akira now. Don't make her feel anymore pain then you already have been doing and will keep doing if you continue to sniff up to that flower love struck." Tsume threatened.

Kiba stared blankly at his comrade. He knew the timber wolf meant well at the heart, but he had it all wrong, "It's not like that between Cheza and I" Kiba whispered.

"Could have fooled me"

"You want to rescue her too! Don't pin this all on me!" Kiba snapped.

"But I'm not the one trying to push everyone to their deaths in a storm" Tsume snorted.

Kiba stood up, "You want me gone, fine then" Kiba reverted to his wolf form, almost invisible with the snowy back ground behind him. His bright gold eyes glared at the gray wolf over his shoulder, "I'm going a head" he bounded off into the storm.

"Don't wait up…" Tsume grumbled.

"Tsume?" Toboe yawned as he started to stir. He flexed his haunches, which Akira was resting against and in turn woke her up as well, "What are you grumbling about?" the pup moaned tiredly.

Akira's orange eyes snapped around the room when she didn't see Kiba, "Where's Kiba?"

"He left" Tsume replied shortly.

"What? WHY??" Akira stood up on all fours alarmed.

"He's gone on ahead. We'll catch up to him at the Keep" no sooner had he said that did Akira bolt pass him to the entrance, "AKIRA!" he hissed.

"I'm not letting him go this alone! I've lost too many already because they took it alone, and I refuse to lose him _or _Cheza!" Akira called over her shoulder as she disappeared into the storm.

"AKIRA!" Toboe stood up.

"Let her go" Tsume's tone told him to back down.

"But,"

"The storm is letting up a bit; It's starting to thin out and she'll be fine with that kind of determination. Kiba won't let anything bad happen to her. We'll follow soon as the other's wake up" Tsume said disarmingly for once, "Get some more rest. I'll keep watch"

Toboe reluctantly lay back down against Heart, his tawny eyes kept glancing worriedly at the storm.


	15. Chapter 14 Darcia's Keep

A/N- Man that was a long time to update, sorry folks, my bad!

-Disclaimer- I still own diddlysquat of any wolfsrain characters or story line, but the parts that are mine and the characters I created are all MINE!

Chapter 14 Darcia's Keep

Diya paced back and forth from with in her lady's quarters impatiently as they waited for some news from the servants. The part wolf was worried, terribly worried.

"My dear Diya," Jagura smiled to her worried lupine, "She will be found, there is no way that she can escape me. Not with all that rests on her dainty shoulders."

"Forgive me milady." Diya sighed.

"There is nothing to forgive" Jagura chuckled.

A male servant dressed in black clothing approached and whispered to Jagura. The lady's mouth tightened to a scowl , "Find her and bring her back no matter what it takes." She hissed.

"My lady?" Diya cocked her head to the side.

"The child has gotten out of the keep, my dear, but fear not. I have a squad trailing her." Jagura stood and started to walk away, "I have many things to prepare for, my dear, stay here and rest, will you."

Diya watched the woman in armor walk out of the room and didn't take her eyes off the doors until the tell tale clack of the golden bronze metal of the armored suit was gone before she looked up to the sky with a relieved sigh.

"Don't turn back, Luralai," she prayed to the heavens, "Get out of here and never look back"

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"What are you doing?!" Kiba called over the wind to the red wolf that trailed him.

"What's it look like?" Akira called back as she finally caught up to him.

"Go back and wait out the storm with the others! You can't make it out here by yourself!"

"You're with me, so I'm not alone." Akira rejected as she passed him and started for the keep to the west, the keep of Darcia.

"Akira…." He growled warning.

Akira turned on him with her orange eyes glaring determinedly, "Jasper and Cheza are in that mad mans' hands and you want me to sit back because of a little storm?" she barked.

"You can barely stand up; you're so cold out here!" Kiba nodded to the way she shivered in the wind.

"That doesn't matter!" Akira shook her head furiously. "I'll go through whatever it takes if I can help them get away from Darcia! There's nothing you can do to make me turn back on them! I won't let you go this alone like you did before!"

Kiba was stunned by the fire she shoved at him defiantly. She so desperately wanted to help her half brother and Cheza, it was inspiring.

Not liking the options, yet not having much time to argue as he was already worried about Cheza, Kiba approached her, making sure he was close enough that his body heat warmed her a bit, "Stick close and it won't seem as cold. You're still not built very well for the winter." He said with a resigning sigh.

Akira smiled and nuzzled closer to him thankfully, "Let's go get Cheza!"

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Heart yawned and looked up at the lightened storm, "It's lightened up"

"So it seems" Hige stretched from where he was cuddled closely to Blue.

"So we're going after them now?" Toboe hopped up with a hopeful wag of his tail as he looked to Tsume, their unspoken leader since Kiba wasn't with them.

"Wait, where's Kiba?" Hige looked around confused.

"What about Akira?" Blue asked just as confused.

Tsume and Toboe were quiet a moment.

"Kiba went on ahead. We'll catch up to him." Tsume said getting up as well and stretching.

"What about Akira?" Heart demanded.

"Where do you think?" Tsume smirked.

"…. She followed him?" Hige guessed with a knowing nod.

Blue trotted to the entrance, "Well what are you waiting for, let's get after them" she insisted.

The others nodded and started at a brisk run across the newly fallen snow.

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Akira looked up in awe from Kiba's side, "That's the Keep?" she gulped.

"It's where Cheza's scent is" Kiba said.

"I know that" Akira said dejected as she down cast her eyes. Hesitantly she looked up to Kiba, "Do you… do you think he's hurt her?"

"I don't know, but I don't plan on letting him have the chance." Kiba smirked, "You ready? It's about to get pretty rough here on out"

"Like that'd scare me away!" Akira snorted egotistically. But once she looked up to the keep again, she looked a bit unsure.

"Akira" Kiba said softly, making her turn to him surprised, "I promise you, I wont let anything hurt you or Cheza." He said as he stared heatedly into her eyes.

Akira's wide orange eyes returned his gaze with wander, then she got worried, "Come on, Kiba, don't say things like that" she whimpered, "Nothing bad is going to happen. Not so long as we don't leave one another and look after each other's backs. Besides, the other's will be here soon." She tried to see this through with out them getting hurt, but something in her gut was telling giving her a grave feeling.

Kiba sighed with a light smile, "Always the 'half full' one" he snorted lightly, leaning his head down to rest his forehead against hers. They both simply stood there, leaning on one another and letting this small quiet moment hold them, fearing it may be their last. Then, Kiba dipped his head to capture her lips and steal a quick kiss, catching her off guard, before releasing her and looking determined to the castle.

"Promise me one thing, Akira" he said.

"Depends on what I can do" Akira shook her head to get the fuzziness out of her head. Damn him for doing that every time she didn't expect it.

"If things get to be to bad, if it really looks like you'd …. You'd be killed" he looked away as if it hurt him to even say it. He seemed very vulnerable at the moment.

"Kiba?" Akira leaned forward to try and see his eyes.

"Just promise me," he continued then turned to her. His blue eyes shining with concern, "Promise me that you will run. Run as fast as you can to get away from the danger, even if it means leaving me, I want you to live."

Akira stood still, shocked. Then she relaxed and stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around him, "Kiba, I promise, if that ever happens, I'll run, but if I know I can pull through, I'm dragging you with me. You can't be all protective over me then go reckless on me and get killed like an idiot." She smiled nonchalantly, pulling back to look warmly into his blue eyes now widened in surprise, much like her own were previously, "What would Cheza say if I went back on my promise to look after you?"

"You promised her that?" Kiba blinked.

Akira nodded with a smile, and took his hand, "And right now, she needs our help to bust her out. So what do you say?"

Kiba nodded and passed her, still holding her hand, "Follow my lead then"

"As always" Akira sighed as they walked into the keep.

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Jasper watched with a stiff jaw when he let down Cheza from his arms and pushed her gently toward his master. He didn't want her to go near Darcia, the guy was going _crazy_! His green and blue eyes watched her nervously as she crossed the distance between himself and Darcia submissively. Her ruby eyes looked up in surprise when she noticed that Lady Homina was no longer living. She seemed to vaguely remember the woman some how, but didn't understand why. She veered away from the distraught Darcia to walk toward the woman, smelling the blood from her ripped open throat and the tell-tale scent of a wolf's musk. The flower maiden put two and two together and knew now why Lord Darcia was so grieved; his love had died at the jaws of a wolf in cold murderous blood.

Feeling sorry for the woman, Cheza started to hum her gentle lullaby as if to soothe the passed on spirit of Homina. Darcia was very still suddenly. He gripped his head and hissed between his clenched teeth as he fought back the wolf inside him.

"Stop…. THAT" he hissed.

Cheza continued as if she hadn't heard him.

Darcia turned to her from where he was grieving in the corner of the room. His wide blue eye glared at her and his wolf's eye narrowed, "I. Said. STOP IT!" he snarled.

Jasper's eyes widened when he realized what Darcia was going to do, but he was powerless to stop him.

Darcia was already at Cheza's unsuspecting side, "DON'T TOUCH HER!" he snapped and gripped Cheza by the neck to flail her away. Cheza screamed in pain as she tumbled across the marble floor and stopped in front of Jasper. The young wolf's muscles bunching in pain as he tried to move from his stationary position the curse Darcia had on him allowed formally.

But the curse at least gave him free head and neck movement.

"DARCIA!" he growled out, "If you so much as _harm _her…. I'll,"

"You'll what?" Darcia challenged as he approached the wolf with a cold look, "You'll kill me, Jasper?" he smirked, "Then what? You're still tied to me, if I die, you go with me"

"A sacrifice I'm more than willing to make!" Jazz bit out venomously.

"Yes, and what of your dear sister coming to visit us?" Darcia commented snidely.

Jasper's eyes widened, "A…. Akira?"

"So good to know you still remember your family's names, boy." Darcia remarked, "Dear Akira is in my very keep, walking toward us like a sacrificial lamb."

"_**You keep your filthy paws off her**_!" Jasper's limbs were twitching, making Darcia only slightly conscious. His spell was weakening if the brat could move….

"You've known from the beginning what I desired, Jasper…." Darcia's hard eyes seemed to slowly go empty, "Yet…. What does it matter anymore?" he turned to Homina's corpse, "My true desire has been ripped from me…" he turned to Cheza, "It is because Jagura's envy for the flower…. That is why my love, Homina was _killed_!"

Jasper's eyes snapped to Cheza when he saw the murderous look in Darcia's eyes. The flower maiden was just now getting up to her feet disgruntled from the lords' previous attack.

"RUN CHEZA!" he screamed.

Once again, Darcia had her dainty neck with in his fist as he held her up, choking her, above him. She gasped for breath and brought both of her heads to his wrist, trying to get him to let go. Her ruby eyes nailed shut and tears gathered at her lashes.

"It is _you _that sealed my grandfather away… you who created reason for this cursed eye I inherited, _you_ who stole my beloved's soul and caused her cruel _death_! I'll destroy you so that you may atone for your sinful flaws, _flower_!" Darcia's grip tightened, causing Cheza to cry out in pain and Jasper to cover his ears as her scream pierced his sensitive ears, "Go open the gates of hell from whence you came. Give the fiery gates of hell to the wolves so that they may see their _true _paradise!"

"_MY LORD DARCIA!_" the seer servant cried out in panic when 2 shapes shot pass her. One a color of red blood and the other of downy white.

"Let her go!" Akira's wolf form snarled angrily as she shot through the air at Darcia.

The lord reacted just in time, twisting his body out of harms way of the she wolf's deadly teeth and claws. As he body sailed pass his, his free hand snatched the fur on the back of her neck painfully, causing her to yelp in pain and surprise. He used her momentum to round turn her back the way she came. She crashed to the floor twisting around while she slid to get up again.

Kiba watched wide eyed as she slid pass him, noting thankfully that she was alright, just shaken up. He then turned his attention with a snarl to Darcia.

"Let. Her. GO!" he demanded bearing his fangs.

"You wolves are so taken with the flower…. I have always wandered why you bother." Darcia said cryptically.

"She's going to lead Akira to paradise so she can open up our holy land. Isn't that reason enough?!" Kiba defended.

"I see then. Narrow minded wolf. Tell me," Darcia smiled wickedly, "how can you follow what is not truth?" he tossed Cheza away from him. The maiden's back crashed painfully against the machines that once held Homina's life force in check with a sickening "Crush".

"CHEZA!" Kiba's snarl slipped to a look of fear when she didn't get up.

A blur of red shot pass Kiba, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" Akira shouted in a battle cry.

Darcia out maneuvered the inexperienced she wolf once more with ease, "Then so be it, children of the demonic night," Darcia drew an elaborately formed golden sword created for the soul purpose of slaying wolves, "Let us dance" he grinned as Kiba dashed for him this time with fangs and claws at the ready.

Jasper felt his strength returning to him and was able to move. Darcia's concentration was too focused on the 2 wolves attacking him simultaneously to consciously hold up the binding spell on the wolf's movement like before.

Using his new found movement, Jasper darted for Cheza. He scooped her up into his arms as he knelt down to her and gently shook her, "Cheza? Cheza, come on girl, wake up!" he softly urged.

A yelp of pain caught his attention. Jasper looked up to see his younger sibling sliding on the ground as Darcia threw her off his arm. A sword wound bleed on her side, streaking the white marble under her a few shades darker than her own red fur. She whimpered pitifully as she tried to get up.

"Akira!" Kiba called worried as he continued to skirt around Darcia, looking for an opening. Darcia took his distraction to slash at Kiba's leg, hindering the white wolf to a surprised limp and then he kicked the animal away to slam up against the wall beside Akira who was lying prone in front of the door.

"I don't like being interrupted by mutts." The Lord growled as he whipped the blood that streamed from one of his brows. One of the many lucky shallow wounds both wolves combined were able to inflict on him. He turned his attention to where his servant wolf stood over Cheza's unconscious form, snarling warningly. The cream-silver wolf with one human eye dared Darcia to come closer. His family chain hung from his neck, Darcia's collar gone.

"Impudent fool." Darcia said with mock pity, "I am a greater part of you. you can not defy me like this" he smirked when their line of sight connected and the restraining spell wrecked all over the young wolf, making him back away from the girl beneath him.

Jasper snarled at himself and had half a mind to bite his own legs, hoping the pain would make his limbs over power the spell, but refrained from doing as much since he knew from personal experience there was nothing he could do unless someone distracted the man from his spell.

All 3 wolves held their breathes as the golden sword marred in wolf blood was pointed to Cheza's delicate throat.

"NO!" Kiba gasped.

"PLEASE, DARCIA!" Akira begged.

"Paradise is none existing, why do you care what happens to her?" Darcia said, his voice gone of all emotion as his humanity as he spoke was waning away.

"What is it that you want? Well do anything, just don't hurt her!" Akira cried desperately as she begged. Her orange eyes watering with tears of fear for Cheza's life.

"There is nothing you can offer me that will mend my torn soul." Darcia hissed, "All I can do now is end it. End the very being that now calls to me…."

The doors burst open, revealing Quent, Hub and Cher, looking out of breath and surprised at what they had just walked in on.

"Darcia!" Cher gasped, then she saw Cheza at sword point and sucked in a quivering breath as she stepped back closer to Hub, afraid.

Quent could care less about the crazy guy in a black suit and cape; he saw that damned red bitch again in front of him! She was wounded too, it was the same wolf that stole the lives of those soldiers and that little boy in the ally a while back when Blue was still at his side…

With a snarl, Quent whipped out his hunts gun and started aiming for a perfect shot at the wounded animal not 15 ft away as it whimpered. She stood up, favoring her wounded side a bit and looked directly back at him with sad orange eyes. He was suddenly reminded of blue.

"Quent what are you doing!" Hub barked in surprise when the older coot swung out his rightful. He followed its line of aim and just noticed the red dog he had seen before at Cher's lab, "Cher…."

Cher took her eyes off Cheza and looked down surprised, "Akira…?" all eyes snapped to Quent when he cocked his gun, ready to shoot.

"QUENT! NO!" Cher called.

A black blur sped through the room from the opposite corridor; a large black dog stood between the hunter and the wounded animal. Quent hesitated in realization….

"Blue!" he gasped.

Not a second later, an enraged snarl warned him just as his gun was ripped away from him, he cried out in surprise at the sudden loss of his gun. He looked to the side and saw a larger version of his Blue with autumn red eyes and an upside down heart on her forehead. Between her jaws was the neck of his shot gun.

Quent was so entranced by the stare of the bright red eyes of the black wolf with his gun in her jaws that he didn't really notice that those 3 weren't the only wolves here….

"Quent…. Back away from them slowly…." Hub cautioned.

"What are you yammering about?" Quent mumbled, but his old human ears were sharp enough to catch a lower growl than that of the females. He quickly looked to the left of the room and spotted the large white male he had shot in FreeCity and taken to Hub's police station for the first time….

"You're here too?" Quent gasped, feeling a bit vulnerable with out his dog or gun.

The white wolf's pearly white fangs spattered with light blood stains from the wounds he was able to inflict on Darcia bore long and threatening at the man that had threatened to kill Akira just seconds before Blue and Heart arrived in time to stop him. Kiba limped his way toward the red wolf, able to ignore the pain in his wounds. Pain wasn't as foreign to him as it was to Akira; that was probably why she was having a harder time recovering from it. Her flesh was still too tender for these kinds of fights.

Laying back his ears when he saw that Quent was harmless now with out Blue or his rightful now in Heart's clamped tight jaws, Kiba looked over his shoulder to see the rest of his make-shift pack approaching them.

"Hey, Hey!" Hige called, "Is every one alright?"

"What happened to Akira?!" Toboe yelped in concern as he rushed quicker than Tsume and Hige to catch up to Kiba's side and look over Akira.

"I am fine. I'm just not used to these kinds of things yet" Akira reassured.

"Where'd Darcia go?" Tsume growled suspiciously as he looked around, only seeing the 3 humans, his pack, Cheza and a he recognized from before but didn't put much thought into it before a tremble through out the Keep shook all with in it.

"The Keep's under attack!" Hub said loudly over the increased noise.

"It must be Jagura!" Cher gasped.

Jasper looked down at Cheza and nodded when he came to his decision, he'd get her and the humans out. Kiba and the others could fend for themselves. In his human form, Jazz scooped the flower maiden into his arms and dashed toward the humans.

"HURRY!" he called to them, "This way!"

"Come on Cher!" Hub dragged his ex-wife he still loved with him as he followed the young man blindedly while the Keep started to tremble and crack more. The ceiling stared to come down and the flowers were cracking as if an earthquake were tearing them apart.

"BLUE!" Quent called over the dust as he searched for his long time companion.

Blue had started to follow Heart after the elder wolf discarded the shot gun to the side to dash for the safety of the pack. She stopped short when her Pops called to her. Whimpering at a loss.

Heart saw the sudden change in the younger wolfs' course and screamed at her, "BLUE NO!" she shouted trying to follow her, but the collapsing debris cut her off and Tsume snatched her out of harms way just as a chunk of solid granite came tumbling down and smashed the ground she had just stood.

"It's too late for her now; we have to get out of here! COME ON!" he shoved her in front of him and drove her and the others out of the falling corridor.

The wolves raced threw the hallways trying to escape the crushing cave-ins from above. Akira was still a bit weak to keep up, but Kiba was carrying her on his back while he ran with the others.

The white wolf pulled up to a stop briefly, testing the scents of the conjoining hallway that was being caved in from where he and the others ran.

"Cheza! She's this way!" he dashed off after the scent, not really registering that Akira was still lying against his back.

"KIBAAAA!" Tsume shouted over the cave in as the might of the debris cut all hope of the others following with a resounding BOOM-Cra-CRACK! The floor under them split in two.

"Tsume, come on!" Hige urged, "we don't have much time!"

Tsume gritted his teeth, but assumed the head position again and lead the remaining 3 wolves of their pack to safety outside the falling keep.

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"THIS WAY!" Jasper called over his shoulder to the man and woman behind him as he ran on with Cheza nestled to him, "There's an emergency escape route the servants take that should be sturdy enough for us until the entire Keep collapses!"

He rounded the corner and slide to a halt. There before him were heavily armored suits of soldiers with fang and built proof steel helmets almost black in color with red glass shielding their eyes. each carried a strange staff in there hands that Jasper knew released a powerful force that would knock out of mammoth if needed to…. And if a Mammoth still lived….

"Ooooor…Not" the young green and blue eyed wolf yelped, "Back pedal, BACK PEDAL!" he warned Cher and Hub.

The three of them dashed the other way, only to be confronted by a pair of soldiers identical to the ones crowded behind them.

"This is some messed up shit the movies forget to put in when the hero is _escaping_!" Jasper growled as he handed off Cheza to Hub and reverted to his light white cream-silver wolf form, snarling in warning at the soldiers.

A black blur bounced off the walls and kicked the two soldiers down quick enough to stun them. Blue stood tall on top of one, "Hurry! This way!" she barked.

"Oh my god I'm starting to understand them now!" Hub gasped.

"Hub, less talking, more escaping!" Cher demanded as she dashed off after the 2 wolves that started to clear a path for them when singular soldiers crossed their path.

"We're almost there!" Jasper announced excitedly.

They were blockaded just in front of the door abruptly.

"Of all the living mothers of worthless fucking nobles!" Jasper cursed between his teeth.

Blue turned around to start searching for an escape route, "We're surrounded!" she growled.

"I'm not licking nobody's boot with out a fight!" Jasper snarled as he flung himself at one of the soldiers.

Another soldier near by blasted the stun gun at the light furred wolf and the others soon followed. A Lieutenant Guardsmen stepped forward and took the unconscious flower maiden out of Hub's arms.

"Mission Complete, Let's head home boys"

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Cheza opened her eyes just a hint when she felt herself being moved in the arms of metal covered men. When she could sense none of her wolves near her, she panicked. Her red eyes snapped open and she barely lifted her head in fatigue.

"Ki…ba..?" she whispered.

There was no answer but the loud 'clank' of an elevation machine designed to load the soldiers on the ground up to the airships above. It was then that the flower knew that she was in very grave danger!

"KIIIBAAAAA!" she cried out.

Down below, Kiba's golden eyes were trained, desperately, on the rapidly leaving airships he knew held his flower maiden on. His mouth lagged open as he panted in exhaustion, yet he kept running to catch them.

"CHEZAAAA!" he called back when he heard her cry.

Akira's black-tipped ears perked up as he sharp orange eyes were also trained onto the specific airship with Cheza on it. Tears flowed in rivers out of her eyes, "NOO! CHEZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" the young she wolf screamed at the top of her lungs as neither she nor Kiba thought twice about jumping off the air dock in hopes of catching the airship some how. Both golden and orange irises never left the airship above them as gravity started to claim them from momentum, plummeting both wolves down to the icy earth below, very far, far below.

Back on the safety of the docks, Heart's red eyes widened when she spotted Kiba's white fur free falling down to his certain death bellow, also seeing Akira at his near side, "AKIIIIRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" the black wolf screamed in horror, catching the rest of the packs' attention, just in time for them all to see the 2 wolves falling out of sight.

"They….. They're…," Toboe's voice quivered in disbelief.

Just then, the ground beneath them began to tremble, setting their instincts on haywire!

"What the hell is going on?" Hige gasped.

Tsume looked back up to the keep; suddenly scared, "run" he managed to whisper. Then his entire body kicked into survival mode. He shoved the disgruntled Toboe up on his feet, "Run. RUN YOU IDIOTS! WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!"

Hige and Heart scrambled after Tsume who was still spurring on Toboe faster and faster away.

"Tsume, what the heck has gotten into yo ---!" Heart was cut off when a forceful pulse of a shock wave rammed into them from behind, knocking all 4 wolves forward with such force that it separated them and tossed them like rag dolls to the ground. The keep was pulsing with a strange white light that seared with power. A loud, piercing light pinched at their sensitive ear drums, knocking them all unconscious with the sheer sound of it.

As the sound deceased, it was all over. The light receded; there were no tremors in the earth. Where the once tall Keep of Darcia stood, now lay in ruins as well as a few airships caught in the blasts. A single airship seemed to manage to escape the death 'light' as it seemed to use its' full throttle to get away after seeing what happened to the others.

Heart's vision blurred as she slipped in and out of consciousness. She couldn't detect any sign of the others, having been thrown the farthest. All she could see was snow around her. Lots of snow. The faint scent of men and dog were near, but she was too weak to know or care, it wasn't any of her pack.

"Tsu….me…" she sighed and let exhaustion take hold of her.

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Diya's green eyes snapped open. She sat up gasping for breath, "NO!" she huffed in a panted breath. She was drenched in cold sweat and her silver blond hair clung to her as well as her silken white nightgown.

She looked around her to see everything was stationary as she had left it when she dozed off in her human form for the night.

She sighed in slight relief, "Thank the moon" she could pick up the sounds of Jagura's troops outside her door. They never lingered there unless Lauralai was not safely in her chambers so neither wolf would interact at anytime.

A small smile graced her lips, "That means there's still hope, Lauralai is out there somewhere."


	16. Chapter 15 Our Paradise

Chapter 15 Our Paradise

Kiba awoke with a low groan. His whole body hurt and his head was pounding. Grimacing at the sudden light his sleep lagged eyes were unaccustomed to, Kiba slowly opened his eyes. light from outside peeked through small peek holes of… some type of plant made up of tall thick grass that was woven together at the top, like a tepee almost. A small drop of morning dew dripped from a hanging tip of a stalk of the thick grass and splashed on Kiba's nose. He twitched the spot and snorted, taking in the scent of sand, with a light tint of water to it. Looking at the entrance….. or rather, opening, the youth noticed that there was in fact, lots, and lots of sand. Some how he was in the desert.

Something shifted on his stomach. Kiba looked down to see Akira was laying across his torso sideways so that her own chest and hips straddled him crosswise.

'Akira?' he thought confused. He didn't remember why or how either of them ended up there. The only thing he did know was the ache in the back of his throat for water. It had been so long since he had tasted water…..

Looking back down at Akira, he hated to do it, but he started to nudge her with his elbow, hoping to lightly jar her out of her dream world. She snoozed on. Not even acting as if he had touched her. Frowning, Kiba pressed his palm against her side and started to shake her. That earned a yelp of pain startling both of them as Akira jumped off him, awake and petrified! Her orange eyes wide and bright with fear. She seemed to hold her breath trying to determine what had hurt her as she took in their odd surroundings just as bewildered as he had been, if not more. When her frantic eyes landed on his, she let out an uneasy breath.

"Oh, Kiba!" she gasped launching forward to embrace him, "YOU'RE ALIVE!" she cried.

"Alive?" Kiba blinked confused. What was she talking about? ….. Though, true, she was willingly hugging him and in doing so, pressing her womanly curves into him. Nope, he didn't mind _that _one bit! He even had to bite back a happy sigh.

Akira pulled back, letting her hands rest on his shoulders. Her orange eyes looking into his blue ones confused, "Kiba? We just fell from an air dock…. An AIR DOCK" she repeated to emphasize her point when he still looked at her like that explained nothing.

"What air dock?" Kiba asked with a slight tilt of his head. Was this a new game she was making? A confusing one?

"You…. you don't remember what happened yesterday…. Er … before?" Akira really couldn't tell how long it had been…. How long were they out? Her sword wound still hurt and smarted at her, but it was closing up. It couldn't have been a day or so….

"Of course I remember" Kiba nodded.

"You do!" Akira looked hopeful as all thought of doubting her outlook on what had just happened aside.

"Yeah, you and I just probably got separated from the others in that sandstorm yesterday. We were so tired that we wandered into the nearest shelter is all." The young man said with a smile.

Akira's composure faltered, "Sand storm?" her doubt started to crawl back at her.

"You hid your eyes in my fur while we walked. You're still not accustomed to the harsh weather of the wild, Akira. I don't expect you to remember getting in here when I was leading you like a blind man's dog…. Well wolf…." Kiba corrected himself. He seemed very at ease…..

Akira looked at him critically with slightly furrowed brows as she tried to understand what he was telling her, "Yes, I remember getting separated from Tsume and the others,"

Kiba's eyes light up curiously, "Tsume?"

"Yes, Tsume." Akira nodded weirded out from the unfamiliar tone Kiba said the older wolf's name in, "You know, the others too? Heart, Toboe, Hige, and Blue? Though I think Blue ran off with her human," Akira admitted the last part worriedly.

"Who are they?" Kiba blinked.

Akira gawked at him, "You know; the OTHERS you were saying??!"

"Others?"

"YES, _OTHERS_!" Akira was getting very frustrated right now.

"I was talking about those other breeds of animals we were following across the desert in the Migration to Paradise" Kiba rephrased slowly as if _she _were the one not getting it.

Oohhhhh yes, _very _frustrating. Akira's mind was going a thousand miles a minute trying to process what was going on….. or was it that it really _was_ just her? They weren't at the Keep, they were in a desert just like he proclaimed….

'He truly doesn't recall what I remember…. Is it really just me? Was it a dream?... but it was so _real_' Akira concluded with confusion as she started at him.

"What?" Kiba asked noticing her unrelenting bewildered stare.

Akira shook her head, "Nothing…. It was just all a …. All a bad dream." Akira said back quietly.

Kiba observed her. She seemed really troubled over that 'dream', "Hey," he said gently getting her attention, "You okay?" his blue eyes seemed full of concern. Very out of character for Mr. Runs-on-instincts.

Akira blushed at his closeness as he leaned over her, looking her over, "I-I'm fine!" she insisted, swallowing nervously, noticing how dry her throat felt, "Just thirsty."

"You know, so am I" Kiba agreed looking out the opening, "I can smell water near by. There must be an oasis somewhere around here."

"Oasis?" Akira tilted her head.

"Yeah, come on! Let's go see." He stood up, helping her to her feet and leading her out of the plant like tepee.

Akira looked around her, "You sure you smell water? My nose is clogging with sand."

"You're inexperienced, unlike me" Kiba shrugged, "Of course I know what my nose tells me"

Akira rolled her eyes, "Of course, how could I doubt you" she grunted, yet followed him none the less as he stood tall, sniffing the wind lightly as a gentle pre-dawn breeze ruffled their hair and clothing somewhat in a pleasurable way.

"It's just over that bluff" he pointed at their diagonal. A large, rolling hill of sand stretched out above them.

"You want me to climb that?" Akira looked at it dauntingly.

Kiba grinned, "Chicken?"

"I'd sooner be called a nobles' pet!" Akira snapped, marching up to the large MOUNTAIN 'bluff' of sand. Kiba chuckled at her childish expression, but followed her, keeping his smile the whole way he tailed her. With him following her, he was able to catch her if she should lose her balance on the unstable sand of the steep hill side.

When they reached the top, the sight of the small valley below caught Akira off guard and stole her breath away. Her orange eyes widened at the sight of lush green grass where the sand should have been just over the mountain of sand and rock. The greenery covered the land of small rolling hills that were nestled beneath the protection of gray white tipped mountains that surrounded the area. Forest trees of all types clustered in large quantities here and there, giving perfect shade from the warm sun above and it all led to what drew the 2 wolves here in the first place; a clear outlet of an under water stream. A cool spring that was so large, it watered the entire area like a lake and from the way the wild life, Akira had only imagined of seeing before, flocked to it was also the water whole for animals as well with its crystal blue ripples of tantalizing liquid.

Kiba looked down at her from her side and smiled at her awed look, "You act like you've never seen the wilderness before."

Akira closed her mouth with a 'clomp' and blushed, ducking her head away from his view in embarrassment, "Well…. I haven't." she admitted.

Kiba's surprise only took over for half a second as his smile faltered as if just realizing the truth in her words before he smiled again even more warmly than before as he took her hand and led her down towards the large lake of a spring in the middle of the Utopia of a valley.

"Then let's go for your first taste of pure water."

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"They're not out here" Toboe whimpered when he met back up with Tsume and Hige after the 3 of them had split up to find their lost friends, "I didn't find a single sign of Kiba, Akira, Heart, or even Blue!"

Hige's usually soft golden chestnut eyes were cold and harsh as he snorted at the pup, "That's because I keep tell'n you two that none of them are HERE!" he growled, "None of the scents are even TRACED to here."

Toboe flinched at the harshness in the larger wolfs' tone, but Tsume mildly glared at the moody wolf before ignoring him like he had been doing up until then, "We know they haven't gone back the way we came. The blizzard would ward off any of their instincts too strongly. They most likely followed the escaped Airship after Cheza, so that's what we'll do."

"We know KIBA would do that, but what about Heart or Akira?" Toboe asked timidly.

"Or Blue?" Hige chimed in gruffly.

Tsume only spared Hige a degrading glance before addressing them, "Your pet-pal is most likely curled up next to her human by hell's flames by now. So I don't think we'll have to worry about her in the near future."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY YOU ARROGANT BASTARD!?" Hige snapped and curled his lip threatening a snarl to escape.

Toboe was thunder-struck, "Tsume….. how can you say such a thing about Blue when she was so close to Heart?" he accused.

"Hey, I'm not the one groveling at some humans' boots" Tsume defended, "But all I'm saying is that I saw that scientist lady and that man with her escape with that other wolf as the lead with Cheza at hand. They at least had a chance to get out, but Blue went off on her own after her old human master started to try and get out too. It's unlikely that either of them survived."

"Don't underestimate her like that! Blue was tough enough to make your ass run the first time you encountered her right? When she and Quent were hunting you?" Hige defended heatedly with venom behind his words, "She's better than that!"

Tsume's golden eyes met Hige's angered glare and sighed, "I still say it's unlikely but believe what you want if you will, porky. I could give a rats ass either way."

Toboe looked nervously between the two, unsure of what to say to cheer his friends up at a time like this. Nothing seemed to be able to help with such odds against them.

Hige whipped his head up with vengeance when a thought came to him as a comeback, "And what about Heart? She went after Blue too you know."

Tsume froze, but showed nothing on the outside how much that stopped his heart to think of such a thing. When he didn't respond, Hige snorted with a sardonic smirk, "Bites ass doesn't it old man!"

"LISTEN YOU-," Tsume's wolf form whirled on the younger brown stocky wolf with a full snarl and barred fangs.

"STOP IT! STOP IT BOTH OF YOU!" Toboe shouted, jarring the 2 wolves out of battle mode for now, "You think fighting is going to help us find them?! We need to go after that airship if it's the best lead we got!" Toboe reasoned.

"If you're so keen about it, go after it yourself!" Hige snapped back, not wanting to give up the chance to rip a new one in the elder gray wolf for what he said.

Toboe was taken aback by Hige snapping at him like that. He turned to Tsume unsure, but when all Tsume did was glare at him annoyed, Toboe's resolve on the issue sparked to flame.

"Fine, fight all you want if you will" Toboe huffed, "I'm going after that airship." He turned his back on them coldly as he could though he was scared to leave the safety and security of their presence, "Hope you can catch up to me when I've found them!" with that, the young wolf dashed off full throttle in effort to get away from his 'friends'.

Tsume snorted from where he was hunched down in a crouch, "You're acting more childish than the runt!" he snapped.

"Then let up your stance and take it back!" Hige shot back.

Tsume didn't move, but the fur along his back bristled agitatedly.

Hige snarled as his muscles bunched up, preparing for action, "HYPOCRITE!" he howled into battle of teeth a fur.

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A sharp yelp startled Toboe from his light lope through a small gorge not far away from where he left the others. He slowed to a stop and looked over his shoulder concerned at first, then glared and forcefully turned his head away, gritting his teeth, "Their own fault for wanting to bite into each other out of their own frustration!" he hissed trying to convince himself as he pointedly walked on with his nose in the air self-righteously with his eyes lowered.

"It doesn't look very good when friends want to fight out of anger against one another." A small feminine voice sighed.

Toboe stopped in surprise and started looking around for the source when the same voice giggled, the sound bouncing too much off the walls for him to pinpoint it.

"Friends are all we have, we shouldn't fight like enemies." The voice continued with another giggle setting Toboe's nerves on end and heart pounding in fear.

"Whose there?!" he tried to sound gruff like Tsume or Hige could, but his voice cracked a bit at the end.

There was another giggle, "It's not me you need to worry about"

"What do you-," Toboe stiffened when he started to hear pounding hooves behind him. A shrill whinny of an animal he had never heard nor seen before on 4 legs charged at him; 2 of them with 2 men on their backs. The animals were tall with flowing wispy mane and tails that bannered behind them as they pounded forward with hard feet like rocks at such alarming speed.

Toboe's eyes widened and he let loose a fearful howl as he started to run as fast as his legs would go, but the beasts with men on top of them seemed to easily catch up with their large, far superior powerful long legs.

"SOME BODY HELP MEEEEE!!!!" Toboe shouted as the clash of hooves started to catch him.

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Hige and Tsume abruptly stopped their little spar and looked, simultaneously, at the direction a familiar howl came from towards a deep gorge. Not bothering to look at the other, both knew what was going on.

"Hear that?" Tsume said rhetorically.

"It's Toboe! He's in trouble!" Hige dashed off in the direction Toboe left in.

Tsume rolled his eyes, "Can't let him out of our sight one damned minute! I fuck'n swear!" he hissed and bolted to catch up with Hige to Toboe's rescue.

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Toboe tripped on a protruding stone that stood up against the ground. He tumbled head over heels and rolled a few paces before he scrambled to his back in panic just as the 2 beasts with hard hooves caught up with him. On their backs were 2 men, both darker than normal humans Toboe had ever seen, but he wasn't concerned with skin color right now. He was nervous the way the 2 massive beasts they sat astride pranced around him while the 2 men held him at arrow point. All they saw was a light skinned human intruder; they didn't even know Toboe was a wolf!

"OH MY GOD!!!" Toboe ducked just as one of the men notched an arrow and shot it warningly at him.

"What are you doing intruding on our lands, intruder?! Have you come to steal from our stocks?!" one of the men snarled.

"WHAT?!" Toboe eeped startled, "Wait, NO! You've got it all wrong…!" Toboe pleaded.

"TOBOEEEEE!!!!!" Hige shouted as he and Tsume entered the gorge. Their sudden appearance startled the horses into prancing around out of control.

Tsume jumped over one of the horses backs and tackled the man astride it's back to the ground while Hige attacked the other man who had already dismounted and instinctively drew out his shot gun for protection against the crazy white man coming at him.

Tsume pinned the dark human to the ground and held him still with his blade at the throat, "Who the hell are you? Did Jagura send you to attack wolves? I know she's after our hides! Answer me now or feel your own life blood become a waterfall!" he threatened menacingly as his wolfish fangs started to show.

"What?? _**Wolves**_???" the man's eyes opened wide in recognition.

The sound of a loaded gun going off spooked them all to freeze quickly. The other man who held the gun had shot it off at Hige, but missed the wolf while Hige dodged to stand in front of Toboe protectively. The man cocked the gun again and aimed it at the two boys, "LET HIM GO OR I'LL SHOT THEM!" his voice quivered in fear.

Tsume stayed very still, not letting up the human, but not wanting to set off the nervous human with a gun.

"Enough!" a girls voice cut through the thick suspenseful air that had suddenly fallen upon them all. They all turned to see a young girl no older than Toboe himself. She had long white-blond hair that reached her mid back and was pulled into a high pony tail with a lavender ribbon. Her fluffed bangs stopped just over a pair of emerald green colored eyes that seemed very innocent. She wore a skin-tight fleece jacket that was unzipped and showed a dark purple shirt underneath. She wore torn jeans and a pair of hiking boots. Around her neck was a collar with the roman numeral '1' on it and was a snug fit to her neck. She leaped down from where she stood on top one of the gorge walls and landed in front of the man that held the 2 boys at gun point.

She smiled up at the spooked man that recognized her, "La—Lauralai?" the man stuttered.

Lauralai nodded, "Yes, please put away the gun. These boys aren't humans from Jagura, more the opposite. They are wolves, probably on the _run_ from Jagura." She explained with warm green eyes.

The man quickly threw down the gun as if it burned him, "Wolves? Oh, heavens above!" he bowed to the ground before Hige and Toboe who had a very surprised look on their faces, "Please great gods of the night! Forgive me for shooting at you!"

Hige recovered from the shock first and shrugged with a grin, "Neh, we're used to it by now. No harm done. You were a lousy shot anyways." 

"Thank you my lords!" the man groveled.

Tsume let up the other human. The human laughed nervously, "Oh shit, it figures we'd run into wolves out on a MAN hunt…. The elder'll have my hide now." He grimaced and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. When he looked to Lauralai he frowned, "Laura, what are you doing so far from the village? You know the elder doesn't like you wandering out on your own with Jagura's troops littering our lands with wolf hunters."

"Wolf hunters?" Hige looked at the small girl, "You're a… wolf?"

Laura nodded shyly.

"But you…." Toboe sniffed in her direction bashfully, "You… don't smell like one of us." He said with a blush as the pretty girl grinned at him. Hige noticed the pink color crossing the younger wolf's cheeks and smirked.

"Yeah, the elder has me rub scented oils over my skin and fur in both forms so when I wander around, the scent radars with Jagura's troops wont pick me up as easily." She blushed and started to revert to her wolf form, "I'm kinda easy to spot from a distance." She admitted.

In place of the platinum blond girl stood a young wolf with sleek white-grey fur that was lined with black fur, but what showed her true breed type was her eyes, they were red-pink. She only stood a bit shorter than Toboe's wolf form and her lithe build spoke of her youth.

"An Albino wolf." Toboe whispered entranced. He felt his heart rate speed up at the sight of her!

"Calm down, pup, before you do something prematurely." Hige grinned.

Toboe smacked Hige's arm defensively, only making the older wolf laugh, "Stop it!" he barked.

"You all should stay with us. The village honors wolves here." Lauralai insisted, "We'll feed and restore you to health."

"Now, how can we, as the gentlemen we are, turn down such a generous offer?" Hige grinned bigger at the mention of food.

Lauralai giggled at his strange behavior.

"Uh… Lauralai?" Toboe blushed.

"Hm? What is it….. oh I'm sorry, I didn't get your names?" Lauralai reverted back to her human form so the humans around them could understand her.

Toboe's blush brightened, "Uh… It's … I… I mean, I'm…-,"

"Blabber boy here is Toboe" Hige nudged Toboe who glared up at Hige, "I'm Hige and mister Stingy over there is Tsume."

"Oh… Was there something else you wanted, Toboe? Cute name by the way" Lauralai obliviously smiled brighter to the young wolf that nearly died right on the spot.

"Uh… I just, er, just wanted to know if you… well if you'd seen any other wolves?" he asked with a bit of difficulty as he tried to compose himself.

"Other wolves?" Lauralai looked to the humans.

"We rescued a dog earlier today, but no, we haven't spotted wolves. In fact, Laura was the first wolf the tribe has seen since before wolves were proclaimed extinct." One of the humans said.

Lauralai's green eyes darkened sadly, "Oh… well… I'm sorry about that. Sorry we can't help. Are you searching for someone?"

"More than a few someones." Hige corrected.

"What happened?"

"Loooong story." Hige said.

"Oh, well we have a while to go. Maybe you could tell it to us on our way back to the village?" Lauralai pleaded with her cute innocent emerald eyes that shown at Hige with full force. Hige sweat dropped; who could say no to such a face?

"Uh… sure…." Hige replied.

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"And what's that called?" Akira asked attentively as she and Kiba sat side by side in the thick rich green grass of on of the many rolling hills in this little oasis. She had been pointing out animals they saw around them, asking Kiba what they were and he in turn would tell her about them.

Kiba followed the direction her finger pointed this time and saw a large herd of large cow like animals with thick fur from just behind their front legs to their heads with black horns and thin fur on their hind quarters.

"Bison. Those are called bison. Our ancestors used to hunt them all the time." He explained.

"Bison" she tried out watching perplexed as the large herd moved on by them at a safe distance. These bison seemed wry of wolves. Must be instinctive, since neither Kiba nor Akira had spotted any thing like a wolf yet.

A noise from above startled her. Akira's bright orange eyes shot up and saw webbed footed birds with black heads flying above, "Oh! What about those?"

"Canadian Geese. Those are really good to eat. They're my favorite bird to eat" Kiba licked his lips.

"Are they really that good? Better than chicken?"

"Of course better than chicken! Chicken's a human food!" Kiba admonished lightly with a smirk at her.

Akira blushed and looked away, "I was just asking." She mumbled.

Kiba watched her for a moment, not liking her sudden disinterest to talk to him. Then he got an idea.

"Hey, let's do something!" he said.

"What do you mean do something?" Akira looked back at him dryly at his vague wording.

"You know," Kiba reverted to his wolf form and dashed around in a tight circle in a very non-Kiba way, "Do something! Come on!" he nudged her with his muzzle until he was able to tickle her to submission.

"Alright, ALRIGHT! I'll _do_ something!" she laughed as she reverted to her own wolf form to follow quickly after as he dashed around the grassy bluffs playing a light game of tag with her.

Akira was baffled by his playfulness. She had never seen Kiba so happy and carefree before! What had gotten into him? But it was hard to complain with how… happy he looked playing with her. His long canine tongue hung out the side of his jaw as he bolted around like a pup just let out of the den after a hard winter storm as he stretched his legs to cover more ground, running around Akira in impressively tight circles.

"Kiba!" Akira giggled as he ran around her, "Chill out, man, you'll run into something if you keep that up!"

"No I won't! You're just jealous because I can run faster than you!" Kiba answered, still running around her as she slowed to a stop to watch him go around and around her. She was starting to find it annoying.

"That's not it," she protested puffing out her cheeks.

"Yes it is, you're just in denial!" he claimed with a happy bark.

"Am not!"

"Prove it!"

Akira bolted after him and he gave out a happy yelp, dashing away, barely leading her now as they raced around for real. They didn't seem to care where they went, so long as they were running. As they seemed to be evenly matched in running, Akira turned her head to him as they ran.

"See? You're not faster than me!" she shouted over the wind they ran against.

Kiba only barked in laughter back at her. His happy expression was contagious to her and she couldn't help but smile back and let loose her own chuckle in delight as they ran on with out a care in the world.

As they descended down one of the bluffs they surprised a galloping herd of wild horses striding by. The startled mares of the herd kicked up their pleasure lop to a full speed gallop with their defending stallion racing to the front to lead them to safety. The wolves merely ran along side the horses to compare speed. Akira watched in awe as the large animals with hard hooves, Kiba told her they were called horses or mustangs, pound the earth under them powerfully and gained speed along side her. She and Kiba darted inside the herd to run along with them. It was unreal to her to be running with a wild herd of horses, even if they scattered quickly away from the wolves when they invaded the herd.

Laughing, the two wolves slowed down to put the horses to ease that they weren't trying to hunt them and eventually ended up stopping at the top of a particularly large grassy bluff that let them over look most of the valley they had stumbled upon. They each panted for breath, sitting down on their haunches and letting their wolfish tongues hang out.

Kiba caught her eyes a moment before his sparkled in mischief and he threw back his head to howl loudly to the heavens above. Akira watched him perplexedly before he stopped to take in another breath, "Come on Akira, you too!"

Grinning, both Akira and Kiba threw their heads back and howled in wild abandonment to the wide blue sky horizon. When they stopped again to draw in a breath, they froze when an answering howl greeted them.

"More wolves!" Akira gasped.

Kiba howled again, but this time in the form of asking where the other was.

The answering howl was much louder in answer to announce the location more clearly.

Kiba's ears perked forward as he located the general direction, "Their near the forest ridge." He said.

"Are we going to go after them?" Akira asked timidly.

"Why not?" Kiba retorted as he started off in the general direction he pinpointed the reply to have come from, "Come on Akira!"

Akira hesitated, but stood up and trotted after him regardless of he doubts. The light jingle of her chain-collar chimed with each pace of her trot after him across the tall green grass field toward the darker forest.

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Cheza shivered a bit as the cold floor beneath her did little to help keep her warm or comfort her, even with the 2 wolves in cages near her. They were all silent as the truck transporting them rumbled on. Blue and Jasper had taken up their wolf forms to stave off the cold wind that blew in from the gapping flap at the back of the covered truck bed. Jasper's cage was pressed against Cheza's. Every now and then, he would whimper at her and stick his nose between the bars to try and reach out to her to comfort her. Blues' cage was parallel across from them. Her blue eyes downcast most of the time, though she did keep an eye on Jasper untrustingly.

"So…." Blue started, not liking the uncomfortable silence, "Do you know where they're taking us, traitor?"

"Traitor?" Jasper cocked his head at her.

"You heard me," Blue bit back, causing Cheza's head to snap up worriedly as she felt the hostility between the 2 wolves rise against each other, "You work for that bastard Darcia, right? The other's told me about him and what he's done to Cheza! What are you doing, letting yourself get caught like this? I know you could have escaped those soldiers before they locked us up in these cages, you can probably break out any time. So just leave Cheza alone!" she snarled protectively.

Jasper's fur stood on end as his own deeper snarl vibrated through him at the indignant half breed that dared lash at him like this.

"Oh and I suppose you're any better? You're a pet to that old guy back there- A WOLF HUNTER! You hunt your own kind yet you have the balls to call _ME_ the traitor?!"

"Leave Pops out of this!" Blue barked.

"Blue…." Cheza whispered, causing both wolves to stop snarling and freeze as their heads turned to look at Cheza, "Jasper…. Please, do not fight. This one can't stand it when this one's friends hate one another. It makes this one…. Very sad."

Blue blushed and turned away, "Humph, I'm just wandering why a nobles spy would even bother staying caught like this."

Jasper was silent a moment, then looked at her with his green and blue eyes, one of which was human held more emotion than his darker wolf eye, "I let myself be caught with out any persuasion of that bastards. I have no intention of helping him anymore. Though I am still bound to him"

"Bound?" Blue's eyes narrowed.

"In ancient times, when a human and a wolf had a close relationship, like family, they would bind to one another to prove their affection of one another. It was a way of saying they were true friends or family, but Darcia used it on me so his curse would escalate- turning him slowly into a wolf like us. Though he still has a human mind." Jasper explained, "It was a wolf's duty in ancient times to protect mother earth's children, the humans. And as such, I am bound to his will somewhat. When he's near me and gives me an order, I can't resist it. In mind I may be shouting at him, but in body, I obey."

"You're a slave" Blue felt bad for what she said before now.

"Not everyone gets to choose their master." Jasper nodded. Then looked up at her, "Before, my family posed as guard dogs at the FreeCity keep so we could stay close to Cheza when she was brought there. I do like humans. Really I do," he said earnestly, "you must love that old man very much and he you as well. I saw the conflicting emotions in his eyes when you stepped between Akira and the gun he held to protect her. I thank you for that. Akira's my younger sister."

"Akira's your sister?" Blue curiously listened to the male's story. It was a good way to pass the time, and talking seemed to relax Cheza more.

"Not in blood." Jasper admitted, "I lost my parents when I was very young. Mother died giving birth to me and I never knew my father, but I was born to Sasuke's pack- Akira's father. He was mated to Diya then and she was just barely pregnant with Akira when we were forced to leave the pack for some reason and migrated to FreeCity where we found Cheza in the lab. Sasuke and Diya are the only parents I've ever known besides Shura, who Sasuke met after Diya left him. Shura was one of the 'dogs' we sniffed out of the city and was brought to the lab since she was so large and strange looking for a dog. She was a beautiful wolf though…" he trailed off, "she nursed Akira since her own pups were still-born. She treated me like her son and I'm eternally grateful to her."

"You had a very nice sounding family" Blue remarked.

Jasper blushed a bit at the compliment, "Yeah, well, all things come to an end. Diya left Sasuke and me after she gave birth to Akira because she couldn't stand the thought of helping humans. Sasuke died when we had to escape the city and it seems that some hunters killed Shura. All I have left is Akira."

"I can relate." Blue said sadly, "I never knew my wolf family or even knew I was a wolf before I met Cheza and the others. When I'm with them, I feel so alive, like I did when I had my human family back in Kureous. But that place burned to the ground and was destroyed by wolves. They killed mom and Zane, the little boy mom and pops had. Pops is trying to kill all wolves for it since they took our family from us. I felt the same way, up till now."

"Understandable" Jasper said softly, "But what do you mean 'till now'?"

Blue looked at him, "Since I met Hige and the others, I don't know what to think. I feel so connected with Heart too. She's part wolf just like me. I don't think I could handle it if I were to go back with Pops and hunt them again. So I'll stay by Cheza's side and see her through this. I won't let them hurt her."

Jasper nodded, "Yeah that sounds about right."

"So… why did you let yourself be caught?" Blue asked curious now.

Jasper's eyes closed in self-loath, "I attacked Akira under Darcia's influence. I thought that out of all people, I'd at least be able to restrain myself, no matter what Darcia threw at me, from hurting her. But I wasn't able to, and I know I hurt her and made her feel betrayed."

"But that wasn't your fault," Blue reassured, "That was Darcia, wasn't it? There's nothing you could have done to help it."

Jasper's eyes hardened, "There is something I could do." He said lowly. His eyes held no emotion other than resentfulness. Cheza shivered at the feel of it.

"What do you mean?" Blue asked.

Jasper let his dead gaze linger toward her, "Any wound inflicted to Darcia or I we share. When your human shot me with his rightful a while back, Darcia immediately felt it and had an identical wound show up on his chest where I was shot. Any pain or strong feeling one of us has, the other feels too. Though emotions tend to only echo to the other." He said, "More so, if I were to kill myself…"

"No, Jasper" Cheza's feathery soft voice breathed out as she hugged herself and hid her head behind her knees that she hugged to her torso, "Please…. Do not lower yourself to end your life like that."

"Cheza …." Jasper's eyes softened on her, "When Kiba and the others kill Darcia sooner or later, or if someone else does, you know I'd probably die as well."

Blue's eyes widened, "Is that true?!"

Jasper nodded.

"No, there is another way," Cheza insisted.

"Cheza…" Jasper started.

"No, this one knows there is another way!" Cheza said more forceful, shocking the two wolves. The tell tale snivels and sobs from the flower maiden told them she was crying and their hearts ached at the thought of it, "There's another way" Cheza whispered between sobs, "There is always another way…."

Jasper sighed guiltily, "Very well, Cheza. I'll reserve that option until there is no other path to take. I won't resolve this in suicide if that makes you happy."

"Thank … you" Cheza sniveled and held out her hand so she could pet his muzzle where he stuck it out to her through the bars of their cage.

"Well now what will we do?" Blue asked.

"Kiba and the others will come" Cheza said confidently.

"Kiba?" Jasper snorted, "I can bust us out of here with no problem."

"Yes and then what do we do on a moving vehicle in the middle of a military convoy surrounded by armed guards?" Blue dead panned, "The two of us can't plow our way through and ensure Cheza's safety."

Jasper's face fell, "Wait for the others." He sighed.


	17. Chapter 16 Here With You

A/N- Well, it's been a while, so why not update? Lol, but be warned, the next few chapters are in a bit of a writers block phase for me, so it could be a while- again… sry…

Read'n Review plz. I love to read your reviews so keep'em coming and I'll keep the story going!

Chapter 16 Here With You

Kiba suddenly stopped running as fast as he was when he approached closer to the den of the wolves he had called out to. He stood in place tall and stiff. His ears pointed forward alert. Akira stopped at his side panting.

"Kiba, what is it?" she panted.

"The alpha." He said, "He's watching us, I can smell pups near by. He must be wary of us since he has young to protect."

"Pups? Just how many do you think are in the pack."

"I don't know, but I don't think it's very many. The scent isn't that strong enough for a large pack." Kiba said, "That and there's still an overwhelming amount of fresh game in the area for the territory of a large pack."

Akira took in what she said and looked in the direction he was still attuning to. Her orange eyes spotted a large form of a dark wolf against the fern trees of the forest. The wolf stood tall and proud like Kiba was. His snout high in the air as the wind blew to him to let him take in Akira's and Kiba's scent. When the wind blew back their way, Akira and Kiba did the same. Akira's orange eyes widened in realization. Her ears perked up and her tail suddenly started wagging furiously.

"PAPPA!" she shouted in delight as she bolted forward, startling Kiba.

"What?" Kiba stared after her in horror as she all but bounded up toward the large alpha male wolf, "NO, AKIRA!" he scrambled after her, fearful that she might upset the other male and get hurt.

The alpha male watched with wide dark chocolate colored wolf eyes. His fur was a mixture of a salt and pepper color, giving him a dark gray look with black fur out lining him. The scent of the young female confused him in a familiar way. When she shouted out 'Pappa' to him he realized who it was.

"Akira?" he whispered with wide eyes as the young female bounded toward him. He started to move forward to meet her half way.

Kiba's golden eyes widened when he saw the older male start to approach Akira as well. Usually alpha males didn't approach the new comers and if they did, it was to punish them. Kiba used all his strength he could muster to catch up to Akira just as she and the Alpha met half-way. The white wolf knocked Akira to the ground as he stood over her protectively with a snarl at the older wolf protecting Akira.

"Kiba?" Akira yelped in surprise when she found herself looking up at the white wolf snarling at her father, "What are you doing?"

Sasuke was surprised when the young male tackled his daughter ruthlessly to the ground. The fur along his neck stood on end as he lightly bared his teeth at the young male. Who did this white pup think he was tackling Akira like that!

"If you want a piece of her," Kiba snarled threateningly, "You'll have to go through _me_ first!" golden eyes bore into chocolate.

Sasuke's snarl stopped abruptly, "A piece of her?"

"She's _mine_! You cannot have her!" Kiba bit back possessively.

"Kiba!" Akira whined when he still wouldn't let her out from under his protection, "Kiba, you don't understand!"

Sasuke beat her to the punch. The larger wolf let out a howling laugh, startling Kiba a moment, "No, no, no!" Sasuke's deep rumbling voce chided, "Why would I want my own daughter?"

"Daughter?" Kiba was still on guard, but his composure slipped a bit.

"Akira is my daughter. I'm Sasuke." Sasuke introduced himself, looking over the younger white one with golden eyes that still held protectiveness, but confusion as well, "You must be this Kiba boy I hear so much about from my mate?"

"How do you…" Kiba was bewildered as Akira.

Why was her father alive?

"Sasuke? SASUKE! What in heavens name are you do--- oh my." Shura appeared with a set of 3 pups clamoring all over her four paws- one was deep golden in color all around with honey-golden eyes, another was two-toned with the same deep gold as its' sibling along it's spine and the top of its' head while it gradually faded to a light cream color with lavender eyes, much like Shura's herself. The third pup seemed to be a bit larger and braver than the rest as he stood tall between his mother's front legs, imitating his father's proud pose before. He was a dark chocolate brown color with even darker paws, muzzle and the tips of his ears and tail were black while his eyes were a startling blue color like ice. When Shura focused on what her mate was standing by, her bright violet eyes widened, "Kiba? Akira? What are you doing here?" the three pups looked up at their mother simultaneously at the full out recognition in her surprise to these strangers.

"Mother!" Akira gapped.

Now she knew she was seeing things! Shura was supposed to be dead! She held her in her arms as she died! One look at Kiba and Akira knew he thought the same thing.

'So he at least remembers how we met, but what about the others?' Akira thought.

Kiba suddenly gritted his teeth in pain.

"Kiba?"

"Graaah!" he howled out, collapsing on top of her unconscious.

"KIBA!" Akira wiggled out from under him.

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"Check this place out!" Hige looked around in awe at the tall tepees that dotted the small area in a wide area that the canyon opened up to.

People seemed so free here. They weren't like the city folk at any other town he'd seen. These people were darker skinned and tended to have long straight black or dark brown hair and dark eyes. Only the old had graying light hair in age. They wore natural clothes from animal hide much like the teepees were made out of. Bird feathers decorated some of their hair like charms and they all seemed so happy! Horses were tethered to long ropes to allow free movement, and others seemed to be walking around freely. Dogs barked as they played with children all around.

The people stopped and stared in awe at the new comers, but waved happily back to Lauralai as she grinned and waved at each of them, sending her greetings.

"This is a heaven for anyone who is running from the world outside of the canyon." She explained.

"We believe in the legend of the wolves coming out of paradise to earth to protect mother earth's children, so of course we treat any wolf, or animal so to speak, with respect and reserve." The young human said from where he was leading the tall dark horse.

Two young children tottered up toward them smiling wildly, "Brother Sitka! You have returned!" they squealed.

Sitka nodded to the other two human men to let them know they were allowed to roam around, then bent on his knee to address the children with a wide smile as he held out his arms for them to rush in and hug him.

"I wasn't gone that long," he said softly, "Have you been keeping an eye on our new friend?"

one of the children, a bright brown eyed little girl, quickly pulled away and looked up at him excitedly, "She woke up while you were gone and accepted the water we offered her- she guzzled it down and then went back to sleep, but she let us pet her!"

Sitka ruffled the girl's hair, "I'm happy to hear that she's healed enough to allow such contact."

"Wanna see her? She should be awake again soon!" the other child, a darker haired and eyed boy asked eagerly.

Lauralai looked up at Sitka eagerly, "Can we? I'm sure she wouldn't mind if we don't disturb her too much,"

Sitka shook his head with a sigh, "She's near the elders' tent, so you guys can go visit her, but I have to meet with the elder first and tell him what's happened."

Lauralai nodded and quickly ushered Tsume, Hige and Toboe to follow her, "This way!"

"What's so great about a dog?" Hige mumbled.

"We found her near the area we ran into you guys earlier this morning, maybe you know her!" Lauralai explained.

"We're wolves, not dogs. We don't associate with dogs even. Don't insult me." Tsume said in his usual stand-offish tone.

"Tsume," Toboe pleaded with the older wolf to be a bit nicer to the cute she-wolf.

Lauralai smiled her bright smile back at Toboe, obliviously flustering the suddenly love-struck young wolf to a blush, "It's fine, Toboe, I don't hold it against your ill-mannered friend to act hostile towards me."

"Ill-mannered??" Tsume baulked.

Hige snickered behind Tsume's back, "She pinned ya there, old man! You really do act hostile!"

"Who's acting?" Tsume groused.

Lauralai suddenly whirled around to face them and held a finger up to her lips and harshly shushed them with a small hiss, "She's in here." she whispered, "Try and keep your voices down, she's still healing after all."

Tsume had to bite back the urge not to bark a retort back at the impudent little girl just in spite, but chose not to in respect of the animal trying to heal inside the small hut in front of them that Lauralai held the flap aside to let them in. Toboe entered silently, as requested, followed by Hige and then a half-hearted Tsume. Lauralai let the flap close after her when she followed them.

The darkness of the hut took even a bit of time for the wolves to adjust their eyes until Lauralai lit a small torch in the center of the hut and then busied herself with some herbs she apparently was going to treat the dogs' wounds with.

Across the hut from them was a pallet of soft animal skins lain over some soft hay and dipped like a shallow nest. Black fur lay outstretched in the form of the animal resting in the said fur nest, but the small light didn't help much to detect anything other than the dark fur the female had. Her face was turned away from them and her scent was covered in the bitter scent of herbs to detect her own personal scent. She did seem to be healing nicely though. No fresh blood oozed out any where.

She raised her head when Lauralai bent down on her knees next to her and offered a small cup of medicine tea she had just made for the dog to drink.

"How are you feeling?" Lauralai asked gently.

"Much…. Better. Just cloudy minded." A familiar voice rasped in exhaustion.

"That would be the herbs I gave you to numb the pain until your body naturally heals itself." Lauralai explained.

"Give me no more then. I'll be healed by tonight's end." The voice insisted.

"You're sure?"

The dark furred animal nodded.

"Then I shall respect your request, but should you need it, the medicine will be ready."

"Thank you." the female seemed to strain herself trying to look over her shoulder, "Who else is here? I don't smell humans."

"They are other wolves we found near the same area you were in." Lauralai explained.

The dark animal seemed to chuckle lowly, "Bet your eating this up, Tsume," Tsume stiffened when it reined on him just who this battered _wolf_ was, "You've never had the chance to see me in such a weakened state.

"Heart?" Hige blinked.

"I didn't hardly recognize your scent! It's so laced with medical herbs!" Toboe gasped then cautiously approached her near Laura's side, "Heart, what happened to you? Why are you so… wounded?"

"After I followed Blue, I was got separated from her when the soldiers cut me off. When the building started to go down, I remember trying to get out, and I did, but that blast and that bright light…. I blocked out soon as the light blinded me, and I woke up here in pain. They keep calling me a dog though." Heart recalled.

"My apologies, I didn't realize you knew you were part wolf. Many half breeds tend to not know and it's best if those kind of things are found out on ones own." Lauralai apologized. Then smiled, "So you _do _know each other?"

"Yeah," Toboe nodded.

"How ever fortunate or unfortunate that may be." Tsume added.

"Irked that I'm not dead and still alive to kick your ass, Tsume?" Heart taunted harshly.

"_Don't say things like that_!" Tsume snapped back, startling all of them, including himself.

An awkward silence made them all hold their breaths in the suspense.

Lauralai cleared her throat, "So… would you like to see the village??" she asked Toboe.

"Y-yeah," Toboe stuttered.

"How about you, Hige?"

"Sounds good to me, is there food involved?" Hige asked eager to get out of the hut.

"Of course." Laura nodded.

"Then I'm all for it!" he quickly made his way out of the hut, followed by Toboe. Lauralai hung back a moment when Tsume tried to follow as well.

"Tsume, can I ask you something?" she asked innocently, but refused to let him leave the tent just yet.

"Depends on what it is." Tsume said warily.

"Heart is still in critical condition and she needs someone to stay near incase something should happen during the night."

"You want me to stay in here with _her_?" he grimaced.

"You will? Oh thank you for offering Tsume! You're not truly as hostile as you try to show yourself to be!" she hugged his neck, stunning the older, stoic wolf and then darted off.

"Wait a minute!" Tsume barked after her, but realized that loud noises were probably hurting Heart.

He cautiously looked over and found red eyes staring at him darted away soon as she realized she was caught.

"So…" Heart mumbled.

"So…" Tsume rolled his eyes, "Why does shit always seem to come my way?" he walked over to a sturdy support beam and sat down, leaning his back against it and closing his eyes. He might as well rest while he was able to.

"You don't have to stay here and keep watch over me. I'll be healed in the morning." Heart insisted.

Tsume opened one eye to her lazily, "Don't get me wrong, this just seems like an ideal place to catch some shut eye while the three brats are away."

Heart knew he was lying.

"I didn't see Akira or Kiba with you…." she started off after a while.

"We got separated at the Keep." Tsume said clipped.

"Did they make it out?" Heart asked worried.

"We say that much, but after that…" Tsume trailed off. He noticed Heart started to worry, "Don't get so worked up about that. Kiba's a survivor, and he won't let anything happen to Akira. You should know that much."

"Just because he's a survivor, doesn't mean he can survive an attack from Jagura's troops."

"I doubt such a thing happened." Tsume insisted, "Most of them were wiped out in that strange blast at the keep."

"And Cheza?"

Tsume let both eyes seriously look into her own ruby ones, "Do you still feel that unexplainable pull?" Heart didn't answer, but the way she didn't deny it, nor fretted over it gave him his answer, "Then that should tell you."

"So she is alive…."

"As far as we can tell,"

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Kiba once again woke up in unfamiliar surroundings, but this time, his head was resting on Akira's human lap. He was in his wolf form and was being pleasantly petted. Akira had stroked his soft downy fur while he was out. Looking around, he deduced that they were in some kind of den. It was dark, but cozy, and soft, dry moss cushioned them on the floor.

"You're awake" Akira greeted with a smile.

"What happened?" Kiba asked, not yet willing to move himself from her pleasant petting just yet.

"You collapsed out in the field suddenly. Father carried you back here and we've waited it out" Akira explained, "You had me worried I hope you know! Why did you collapse in the first place? Heat exhaustion?... wait no, it wasn't that hot outside." She chided herself distractedly.

Kiba's eye lids lowered, "I don't know. All I remember is a sharp pain soon as I thought about what happened to Shura before…." There it was again. He grimaced when his head began to throb at the mere mention of something like that.

"If it hurts so much, then don't think about it. It's not healthy to put yourself through something like this." Sasuke's deep voice chided the younger wolf. He and Shura were still in their wolf forms. There was no need to change, but Akira had done it on reflex to comfort Kiba easier.

Sasuke sat near his daughter along the wall with his mate, Shura laying propped up on her side. Their 3 pups nuzzling close to her in their sleep. Kiba looked toward the opening of the den to see that it was dark- nightfall had come since he was out.

"How long was I out?" he asked.

"Not long. Just about 3 hours." Shura shrugged.

"Three hours??" Kiba echoed.

"You weren't in pain" Akira explained, "Just sleeping. So we let you sleep,"

"What about you? Aren't you tired? It's nightfall already." Kiba asked her.

"Don't worry about me. It didn't feel right to sleep when I was so worried about you."

"I'm sorry." Kiba said softly.

Shura and Sasuke shared a knowing look at the tenderness Kiba treated Akira with. Sasuke cleared his throat.

"I know Akira liked to spend the night outside sometimes to sleep under the stars. There's no ill weather tonight, so…" he trailed off.

Akira blushed, but Kiba rolled on to his feet, "Maybe that'll relax you enough to get some sleep. Come on Akira." He nudged her.

Akira reverted to her wolf form, "Really, I'm fine, Kiba." She resisted politely.

"You need your sleep and Sasuke said that sleeping outside helps you sleep, so out we go," Kiba insisted nudging her a bit harder.

"Go on, Akira, you won't insult us by not staying inside." Shura nodded.

Akira looked back at her parents uncertainly, but from the encouraging smiles they wore, she let Kiba take her outside to sleep under the stars.

When they were gone, Sasuke turned to his mate sadly, "He's starting to remember."

"It's selfish of us to want her to stay, my love, but we can't give them false hope. There's no real way out of here with out help from the other side." Shura insisted, "What should we do? If they still remember, that means that their bodies are still alive on the other side…"

"It's cruel to give them false hope. We'll see how things go from here and go from that." Sasuke decided.

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Tsume watched over and tended to Heart through out the night, talking with her quietly to pass the time. Lauralai had warned him that while she would probably heal up fine by morning due to her wolf blood and the special herbs, it wasn't a good idea to let her sleep in such a state just yet until the wounded she wolf could at least sit up on her own. Though they usually bantered back and forth brashly, that night, Tsume had surprised Heart with how tender and gentle he was toward her while she rested and healed.

When morning had finally come, Hige, Toboe, and Lauralai had peeked in the hut to check on the two wolves to find them both in their wolf forms asleep against one another. Tsume lay in front of the black she wolf while Heart rested her head across his neck- his chin resting across her paws. They seemed very exhausted and peaceful in their sleep.

Lauralai and Toboe exchanged sly looks while Hige heaved a sigh, "Lucky bastard" he mumbled, then followed the younger wolves to find something for breakfast.

Lauralai lead the two young males toward the cooks' tent, "I'm happy she seems to have healed."

"Yeah, compared to the way she was in such pain, just yesterday, even" Toboe agreed. He no longer shadowed her as they walked, but had gained the courage to walk at her side boldly. Hige hardly cared where he walked so long as she led him toward the fresh buffalo meat the warriors had brought back from the night hunt last night.

"For all the shit he gives me about my love-life, he sure seemed pretty occupied back there" Hige mumbled a bit jealously and longingly since he had yet to discover Blue's fate from the Keep disaster.

"You should be happy that Tsume finally let his guard down enough around Heart, Hige" Toboe, "Maybe now he won't be so cranky with all the pent up tension between them?"

Hige snorted, "Tsume not cranky? Heh! Keep dreaming runt. The sooner he wakes up and we start moving again, he'll yap at us about the first flaw he sees. Count on it"

"Moving again? You plan to leave so soon?" Laura looked a bit hurt.

"Well, you see, we still have a few friends out there that need us, Lauralai" Toboe said softly as if ashamed for some reason.

"You mean the one you called Kiba and the other, Akira?" Lauralai recalled from Hige's story she was told when she and Sitka's men lead them to the village.

"Yeah." Hige nodded, "I can't shake the filling that something bad's about to happen. I, at least, want to make sure Akira's safe with us again. They wouldn't stop if it were one of us out there instead."

"Will you come back once you've found them? Maybe they aren't far off?" Laura asked hopeful.

"We can't do that." Hige said morbidly, "We still have to go find Cheza"

Toboe was suddenly quiet. He glanced at Lauralai, who seemed saddened by the news. Her emerald eyes noticed his gaze and she quickly smiled at him reassuringly.

"We'll help you in any way we can." She promised "Sitka and I will come with you when you head out. They might be in the Desert of the Lost Souls."

"Lost souls?" Hige didn't like the name at all.

"it's just a superstition the humans here have of the desert beyond our canyon but the desert was named so because when those brave it's harsh sands few come back or are ever found alive again. Your friends might be trapped there. If so a horse will be a big help when you go off to find them." Laura explained.

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	18. Chapter 17 Quotes the Owl

A/N- And we're done with the writers block for a while! Yeah! Let's celebrate with an update, ne? ha ha ha!

-Disclaimer- Don't own nothing

-Reminder-

Please review! I love you all! Reviews are the deciding factor in which stories I write more in, so if you like this one, review like you have been (gives a thumbs-up)

Chapter 17 Quotes the Owl

Akira looked up at the milky-way and the bright shining stars above her as they shone in all their brilliance against the stark contrast of the midnight-blue-black hue of the sky that held them suspended. She had seen stars before, but never like this. The dome had only given her glimpses of the strongest of all stars that shone and were able to make themselves seen through the light of the city and the thick- almost-see-through shell of the dome. Joey had taken her on the rooftop of the lab they lived at occasionally to watch the stars as a pup, but her she was, laying on her back in the soft tall grass of this wondrous paradise she and Kiba stumbled upon in the middle of a dessert. The white wolf lay on his back as well near her. Their ears touching as they laid in front of one another, pointing out shapes they saw in the stars.

"It's all so…. _Big_" Akira sighed in awe.

"I used to watch the stars every night when I was a pup" Kiba said fondly.

Akira twisted her head so she could look up at him curiously, "Kiba,"

"What?" Kiba also twisted so golden eyes could look into bright orange.

"Tell me about where you grew up?" she asked curiously.

Kiba was silent a moment. He turned his gaze away from her for a while, vaulting his wolf body to sit up on his side. Akira whimpered softly in regret. Maybe that was a painful memory for him? The red wolf rolled to sit on her haunches and lowered her head toward him with a worried whine.

"Kiba?" she hesitated. He looked so troubled, "It's alright if you don't want to talk about it…"

"No, it's not that, Akira. It's just…" he winced as his head throbbed a bit, "Just that head ache coming back again" he confessed.

Akira scrunched her muzzle as she tried to think of something to do to help ease his pain. Her orange eyes lit up at a sudden idea. She shifted into her human form, catching Kiba's attention as she did. He sat up taller to look over his shoulder at her when she scooted closer to him and patted her lap to him invitingly.

"Akira?" Kiba tilted his head confused.

"Come over here and lay your head down in my lap. I'll help ease your head ache." She said.

Wagging his tail at the invitation, Kiba shifted to his own human form and shifted in the grass to lay on his back in front of her and let his head rest on her lap. As he settled against his new position more comfortably, he sighed as her small fingers lightly touched his temples and started to rub gently in circular motions. The dull ache in his head seemed to lessen to an annoying ting every now and then, but her touch did help calm him.

"I don't remember my birth pack" he started.

"Hm?" she stopped her ministrations in surprise.

He continued when he saw in her orange eyes that she had caught on to what he meant, "The earliest memories I have is of a flaming forest. My friends were lost to the fire and I was so afraid I could barely think straight. I was cornered against a fallen tree that had yet to catch flame. It was so strange…. The tree was covered in vines with a strange white flower on it. I remember seeing those same flowers burning around me, but the tree remained un-burnt. I blacked out from the smoke of the fire against the roots of the tree."

"A fire?" Akira's eyes widened in recognition, "I….it's funny" she looked down at him in confusion as her mind nagged at her in a sense of deja'vu. She knew he'd never told her of this story, but it sounded similar to something she was told of before…, "I feel like I've heard of something like that happening to something else…"

Kiba's concerned blue eyes looked up at her and Akira shook her head to dismiss the thought, "So, you blacked out because of the smoke, you were saying" she urged.

"I woke up when a strange human found me and picked me up. Even when I bit him, he spoke wisely to me. He said 'the flowers have saved you, my brother, it is you who must survive.'" Kiba quoted, "He looked different from the nobles I hear about. His skin wasn't fair and his hair was longer and a dark brownish color. He wore the pelts of the prey he hunted for food to keep him warm and had an eagles feather braided into his hair. I was young then and he reared me as a pup. So it was only natural that I grew to learn to hunt with him and hunted with him gradually. He never once made me do anything. I always felt a need to repay him for helping me. He often spoke of legends of great wolves that would one day open up paradise." Kiba's blue eyes got a far off look in them, "He told me about the legend. You know, the one about the red moon?"

Akira nodded, "When the blood of wolves has stained the silver moon red as mother earth lay in a time of illness and death, the red moon must drain its blood for the silver or black moon and it is this gift that shall decide opening of paradise with in light or dark commence. So says the book of the moon" she quoted.

"I never really got what it meant by the moons choosing by bleeding. If the red moon symbolizes the death of mother earth through all the bloodshed that's to come, how is supposed to chose light over dark? Doesn't death bring darkness? Is this world doomed to such a fate?" Kiba wandered.

"I… I don't know. All father ever said was to keep faith in paradise and it wont fail you. To find paradise is to find peace and happiness for eternity." Akira answered.

"The old human told me I had to go on a journey after many months had passed. The night before, he told me that my destiny was starting to branch away from his and that I must look for the … the…." Kiba winced and snarled frustrated when his head ache returned. The only reassurance was the touch of the girl above him.

He sat up quickly and slammed a fist against his thigh angrily, "Damn it!" he hissed.

"K-Kiba??" Akira blinked confused, "Are you okay?"

Kiba went still when she reached for him. Her hand only rested on the back of his shoulder momentarily. Time seemed to hold its own breath before Kiba whirled on her and gathered her up into his arms, resting his head in the crook of her neck, thankful for the relief of the ache he felt at the feel of her skin against his temple and having her in his arms like this. Akira stayed still in his arms, confused. Why was he acting like a fevered pup wanting its mothers touch to ease the fever's heat? Is that what he was looking to her for? 

"Kiba?" 

"Akira…. Can we, can we stay like this?" Kiba asked softly against her neck, making Goosebumps trail up her arms and made Akira blush lightly.

"H-hugging?" she gulped.

"Will you stay with me?" he pinned more accurately, his arms around her back tensed in anticipation of her answer and she noticed that his breath slowly stopped as he held his breath just as her heart stopped a second.

'What brought this up???' her mind reeled for what caused him to feel so insecure about himself.

"Kiba," she said in a gentle voice of reassurance as she smiled serenely, "How could I not stay with you? You've shown me so much, I should be warning you that I'm not about to let you out of my sights just yet. I don't care if the flames of hell were where you led me, I'd still follow you." she declared, pulling back to look him in the eye so they both could see the truth in her eyes. Her orange gaze shifted from serious to timid as she smiled with a sweat drop, "well…. If you led me there, I'd be scared to death, but I'd still follow you!"

Kiba laughed at her confession as she huffed at him. He was laughing at her after she made a bold declaration to him.

"Certainly wouldn't call you a wolf just from the way you talk" he snickered at her as she glared at him. His blue eyes only gazed back more lovingly in response as his eye brows twitched upward, "That's one of the reasons I love you so much."

Akira stared him, mouth open agape, "E-excuse me??" she yelped.

He rolled his eyes and pecked his lips against hers quickly to steal a kiss she wasn't expecting, making her even more speechless.

"You know your cute like that, but don't leave that cute jaw of yours hanging too long, you'll catch flies." He teased, rolling up to sit up on his own and turned mischievous eyes on her, "Hey, I'll give you 20 seconds to run and hide so I can catch you, ok ready?"

"K-Kiba? What are you…?"

"1…." Kiba started, scrunching his eyes closed.

"Why are yo-,"

"2….." he continued with a smirk.

"Kiba!" she snapped, feeling her muscles bunch up under her, ready to spring.

"3…. You better get a move on it…..4…." he continued, smiling wider at her indignant snort at him, "….5…."

"Argh! Okay! Fine, I'll play hide and seek with you" she yelped, shooting up from her sitting position to bolt off through the forest.

Kiba waited a few more moments before letting his eyes open. He hadn't even made it to 20 yet, but she didn't have to know that. His smirk lengthened as he transformed into his brilliant wolf form, lifting his muzzle toward the oncoming breeze and catching her tantalizing scent.

"Ready or not," he whispered, "Here I come…" he trotted off at a leisure pace after the direction Akira had bolted in.

Sasuke and his mate watched the scene unfold from their den, smiling proudly at the young couple, "If their scent's anything to go by, our cubs will become aunts and uncles before they're yearlings."

"Hush, Sasuke! The pups!" Shura growled protective of what her pups over heard, then smiled at her mate, "Is it so bad that he'll take her as a mate? She is of age… and we did meet him, so it's no like she mated a stranger."

"I just don't like my baby girl wandering off to go be 'frisky' with some male I just met…" Sasuke pouted.

Shura gave her mate a pointed look, "You and I got 'frisky' with in the first week we met" she pointed out.

Sasuke huffed, "That was different," he insisted.

Shura shook her head at her mate's childish thoughts of being possessive over Akira while as they spoke, Akira was giving her heart to another. She would no longer be bound to her parents anymore, not if the white wolf was to become her mate….

"Such a day, frolicking wolves in the bay," an eerie voice echoed in the forest, causing Sasuke to pull back his lips in a vicious snarl as he stood over his mate and pups. The strange barn owl spirit keeper tilted it's mysterious head at them, it's haunting black eyes reflected the night sky, making them have a blue tent to them as it tilted it's revolving head this way and that, "So young love seems, like a dove does the heart long to sing"

"What do you want, demon!" Sasuke snarled, not at all welcoming the owl near his home, "Why do you visit us at this hour? Why have you come to our peaceful valley"

"A soul longs for home, it calls as deep as ones bones," the owl answered, "Yet some times what we see, is not always what there truly is to believe, for I spy two wolves that shall at one time soon, very soon it shall be that they will leave. Let this be the decree" his haunting melodious voice drifted in it strange lull as he spoke to the startled wolf.

"Does he mean Kiba and Akira? Is someone trying to call them from the other side?" Shura gasped.

"What once was whole, tragedy stole" The owl ruffled its feathers, "two wolves, two souls. A wall they must over come, a cry shouts to them and burns for them as the sun"

"Stop with your rhymes you old fool!" Sasuke demanded, "What's happening to my daughter and Kiba?!"

"The others…" Shura said gravely as the caught on the old owl's rhyme, "He means that the other wolves that were with them are trying to call them back, Sasuke! They're still alive on the other side! That's why Akira can remember and Kiba keeps getting those strange head pains!"

"HUSH SHURA!" Sasuke snapped with a vicious snarl that spooked even the owl spirit.

The pups yelped in fear and cuddled their mother while Shura immediately sought to comfort them, snarling in warning when Sasuke realized he lost his temper and tried to approach his mate and pups to apologize. Sasuke knew that she would turn her teeth on him should he wander too close to her or the pups right now since he had already stepped out of line to his mate's respect.

"Shura…. I," he tried.

"Give me a reason, Sasuke" Shura demanded lowly with a tint of desperation in her voice, "Why do you insist we not tell them about where they truly are? This is not the world of the living. They cannot stay here if there are others on the other side trying to take them back! They must go back to the world of the living!"

"Shura…." Sasuke whimpered pitifully, "I filled Akira with such hope of a true paradise as a pup; I once gave her hope of a secure life with all our family and look how that turned out- I betrayed her!" Sasuke snapped more to himself before he slowly looked up at his mate with hurt dark eyes, "I just…. I can't give her false hope again. What if those other wolves can't take her back? What if they fail and she's stuck here forever?"

Shura watched her mate as her heart went out to him. She let him approach and nuzzled her muzzle under his chin, "That's the beauty of hope, my love, it's stronger than fear if you're brave enough to simply believe in it" she reassured.

Sasuke whined softly to his mate as he lay down closely to her, cuddling their pups between them. After some time, the pups were fast asleep while their parents sat in companion silence. The strange owl spirit hooted from somewhere far off, reminding Sasuke what it had warned. He bit back a low growl.

"Tomorrow" he stated resolutely.

Shura tilted her head to the side to take in what her mate was meaning by that.

"Tomorrow, I'll tell my daughter- Akira- and Kiba their hope and explain just what they've stumbled across."

"You know you can't do that, Sasuke. Kiba hasn't remembered yet. It would make things worse to try and explain to him prematurely when he has no idea of a world beyond quite yet." Shura sighed. Then smiled slyly as an afterthought came to her, "Besides, don't you mean your daughter-Akira, and son-in-law- Kiba?"

Sasuke gave his mate a dry look before he gruffed to himself with a roll of his eyes, "I still say she's too young." He snorted with a pout as he lay his head down.

Shura chuckled as she lay her own smaller head over his neck blissfully surrounded by her family, "You're just a possessive old fool to think they're doing anything other than that out there frolicking alone in the forest on a night like this."

"Hmph" Sasuke snorted stubbornly. Though secretly he was proud of his daughter to have found such a respectful mate as Kiba who seemed to care for her dearly. However, if Sasuke caught wind of that ever changing, he didn't care if the line between the dead and living were as big as a canyon gorge, he'd cross to the world of the living and rip the sorry son of a bitch to pieces for hurting his little she wolf baby! The great Sasuke didn't take kindly to those who harmed his pack or blood! He snarled at the thought, but a quick jab from his mate made Sasuke gulp it down and start to wander with her to the land of slumbering sleep.

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Sitka rode astride his horse at an easy gallop as he led the 4 wolves plus Laura toward his tribes' outskirt holy lands to find their friends. The dark bay stallion, Tsar- as the horse had introduced himself to the wolves shortly in a brief greeting they had before their journey took place, tossed his head and whinnied at the thrill of being able to run with the wolves like this with out being on their menu.

"I can see the desert just up a head!" Sitka called over the wind.

Tsar slowed to a stop as the path they traveled dropped off into a narrow cliff that ended with the beginnings of the desert just below at its base. The dark bay pawed at the earth and turned to address the wolves in his own language only they knew.

"One of the horses from the desert patrol mention a fleeting scent that he caught of a predator out in the sands. He said it was faint, but it carried from the north winds. So travel due north and you should come across the scent again. I pray that it is your friends who you find at the end of the scent trail." The horse whinnied encouragingly.

"Thanks for the heads up. I'll take it from here." Hige nodded with a smirk as he lifted his nose toward the oncoming northern winds, "Yep, I smell wolf alright, but it's too muddled with other scents to tell who it is."

"That's our best bet then." Tsume nodded, then looked to Heart. A silent question passed between the two and Heart's red eyes gave him a mock glare, more of annoyance than anything.

"I'll be fine, Tsume, just don't drag behind me and we'll find them before next spring, okay?" the black she wolf teased with a sharp wag of her tail.

"This is where we must leave you." Lauralai bowed her head formally at Tsar's side.

"We thank you for your hospitality." Heart bowed in return to the younger albino eyed silver wolf, "You're sure you don't want to tag along?"

"I am still uncertain for what my destiny is to be, but I feel certain my place is here with these people for just a little longer." Lauralai answered wiser than her years suggested.

"Lighten up kid and live life a little." Hige winked, then turned to face the desert determinedly, "Alright gang, let's get a move on and find Kiba and Akira!" he started down the narrow pathway that descended down to the desert sands with Heart trailing him while Tsume waited for Toboe to follow so he could bring up the rear as usual, but Toboe didn't move from where he was near the other side of Tsar's flank.

"Toboe, what are you doing? We need to hurry if the others are hurt." Heart called when Tsume growled a mild threat.

"You…. you guys go on ahead, okay?" Toboe mumbled.

Heart and Hige shared a worried glance.

"What are you talking about?" Heart asked gently.

"I… I'm staying here. With Lauralai and these people." Toboe's resolve seemed to strengthen as he got what his feelings told him he wanted to say out to the others.

"You're just gonna up and quit on us? Just like that? When the hell did you become such a lazy whiner? What about paradise? Kiba? Akira?? EVEN CHEZA?? Are you just gonna leave them too?" Hige spat.

Toboe glanced up at him with a mild glare to retaliate on the larger wolf's stand-offish tone, but his honey eyes darted to Tsume's solemn, unnerving golden eyes as the gray wolf stood silently with out moving to interfere with the pups' decision.

"The people here… they're happy and they know about us wolves, yet treat us no different from the rest. That acceptance calls to me, that's my paradise." Toboe explained with out looking at his former pack mates.

Hige stared at the pup with disbelief while Heart's red eyes shadowed sympathy and hurt for Toboe. It was Tsume that broke the silence in the tension around them.

"If that's what he wants, let him stay. He's always wanted to run with the humans as he is. We have no time to waste any longer with Kiba and Akira in potential danger." The gray wolf portrayed the look of a true alpha male perfectly as he silently trotted pass Heart and Hige, telling them with out words that they were to follow his lead and they did so while giving confused and hurt looks back toward Toboe.

Toboe and the other's that stayed behind watched the 3 wolves dart across the desert sands and into the wind storm that had started to kick up a heavy veil of sand until they disappeared from sight. Lauralai whined sympathetically as she watched Toboe's ears lower when he could see his friends no longer.

"You're sure you want to stay?" she asked quietly as she approached him.

Toboe looked to her and slowly nodded, "I only slowed them down anyways" he replied just as soft. He gritted his teeth as he seemed to chide himself, "After all, I only got in the way. They don't need me." He huffed and turned away.

Lauralai and Tsar shared a worried look then Lauralai watched her new young friend as Tsar and Sitka started to lead to two wolves back to the campgrounds.

"But you do need them. And they still need you." Laura whispered sadly. She looked back up at the cloudy skies and sighed before following the horse and rider with the young red wolf at its flank. Thoughts of the very wolf she herself missed weighed heavily on her heart, '_Be safe, Diya'_ she prayed silently.

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"THEY'RE THIS WAY!" Hige called behind him as he dashed through the blinding sandy winds of the desert. His nose was clogged with uncomfortable sand, but the overwhelming scent of the flower that clung to Akira's coat fueled his will to follow in hopes of finding her and Kiba. Heart and Tsume battled the winds close to his flanks, blindedly following and trusting the collared wolf's keen nose to lead them to their goal.

Heart stopped short to catch her breath as the winds died down once more. She hung her tongue out of the side of her mouth as she panted for air while her comrades also stopped to catch their breath in the stand still of the deserts many wind storms it kicked up seemingly at random.

"How…. Much …. Further?" Tsume panted.

"Not…. Far" Hige took a deep breath through his nose to help regain his normal breathing tempo and froze when a new scent was picked up- gun powder from the solders and the foul scent of man sweat mixed with leather, "We've got company…" he growled.

The winds around them were still just now starting to part and settle their kicked up sand and dust back to the ground. The heavy cloud around them gave way to a strange large plant that stunk like a sea of rotted corpuses on a hot day and made the wolves scrunch their muzzles in disgust. A vehicle was parked near it with a small foursome of soldiers on patrol were poking about the plant. Hige bore his fangs in a furious snarl.

"Akira and Kiba are in that thing!" he snarled.

That was all the black and gray wolves needed to hear. Heart shot forward instinctively with a fearsome snarl as she lunged for the closest unsuspecting man and tackled him to the ground. He screamed as he pearly white fangs snapped at him repeatedly, trying to latch on to a vital vain in his poorly protected neck as his arms flailed up at her to try and fend her off in surprised vigor. The other 3 soldiers only had seconds to recollect themselves from the shock of the sudden attack before Hige and Tsume swept through them, but they were more prepared than their comrade and fought off the wolves from making the easy killing blow they had lunged for.

The man under Heart got a firm hold on his rifle and slammed it into her with all his strength to shove her off. Heart yelped in the sharp pain as the metal of the weapon bruised her belly where it caught on her rib and she was flung away like a rag doll. She quickly rolled to her feet and dodged a well aimed stun blast aimed for her. The wolves eventually were unable to get near enough to the soldiers to even attack them with their lethal teeth or claws as the soldiers got their bearings and started to successfully defend themselves in a tight back to back circle against the wolves like a herd of protective buffalo.

"This's going no where fast!" Hige snarled in rage as he continually dodged the humans stun blasts.

"SHOW NO MERCY! FIRST COME FIRST SERVE ON ANY OPENINGS!" Tsume barked out.

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Lauralai felt a chill run up her spine as they were about half way back to the campgrounds. She looked over her shoulder where they departed from the other wolves. Something inside her told her that something was terribly wrong. The wind was even still and Tsar seemed to tense his muscles as he walked with his master astride his back.

"Feel that, Laura?" the horse nickered lowly.

Laura nodded as she hurried to his side and morphed to her human shape to address Sitka, "We have to turn back!" she demanded, startling the young human.

"What's wrong?" he asked in alarm.

Toboe's honey eyes widened at the fear he sensed from the equine and Lauralai. He felt his own heart pound and the feeling of adrenaline start to pump in his veins.

"I don't know, but the others' may need us!" Lauralai whimpered.

The northern winds breezed toward them, but the scents were too mingled for untrained wolves like Laura and Toboe to get much information out of it, but Tsar was able to pick up the scent of gun powered from the soldiers and the blood of wolves.

"Soldiers!" He squealed sharply tossing his head and wheeling around in a sharp U-turn that nearly demounted his rider. Sitka grasped tightly to his horses' mane as the bay galloped back toward the desert they left the wolves with Lauralai and Toboe at the horses' sides.

"Tsar says he senses Jagura's soldiers and the blood of wolves!" Toboe translated for Sitka's sake.

"THEN LET'S HURRY!" Sitka now urged the stallion faster.

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Heart pivoted away from a well aimed bullet that blew dust in her eyes. She yelped and stumbled as her hindered eyesight suddenly caught her landing off balanced. She immediately started to rollover, trying to avoid any other shots the startled soldiers shot at them.

"Heart! Get outta there!" Hige barked over the ratta-tatta of the machine guns and the blasts of the stun rays from the weird spears the soldiers carried. Heart darted out of range easily enough so she could take a split second to stand still at a distance and catch her bearings of the battle so far.

Two soldiers pushed the wolves a safe distance away from the strange smelling plant that had Kiba and Akira under its "spell" of some sort. Tsume was snapping and snarling at one while Hige barged at the other. They were trying to give Heart a breather since the soldiers seemed to take aim at her more often since her black coat shone like a bull's-eye in contrast to the light brown sand around them. Her red eyes narrowed when she picked up on what the other two soldiers were up to. They were dragging a familiar red paw out from under the plant. Heart lost it.

"_Get the fuck away from her you bastards!!!!" _she snarled through her fangs as her lithe body shot forward beyond the dull ache of her minor wounds dealt to her previously. Her sights set only on killing those two worthless idiots who touched her friend.

The first man didn't have time to react before Heart's pearly white knife-like fangs crushed his throat in a fury of power, staining her mouth red as the blood flowed easily out of the human while he gasped his final breath, falling to the sand lifelessly under the huntress. His partner, startled, dropped the small red paw he and the other soldier were trying to use to drag out the comatose wolves and backed away, whipping out his gun quickly in reflex to defend himself.

Heart was beyond caring that she was giving him a clear shot as she glorified in the taste of the mans blood. It had been too long since her fangs tasted vengeful blood and her throat yearned to howl it's enjoyment of the red hot tang it gave her. Her blood red eyes spied the other man as she dropped her current dead prey in the sand, forgetting it completely. Her leer set on the leftover, breathing pest that angered her.

Hige and Tsume sensed a change in Hearts demeanor; she had surrendered to the thrill of the hunt's blood lust seduction. Something many wolves that enjoyed the smell of fear and the thrill of the chase instinctively had to struggle with. Heart hadn't really hunted the humans that pursued them quite so acutely as now. Her snarl was feral and she bolted at the man who aimed a deadly weapon fatally for her chest as she lunged in the air at him.

Tsume's eyes widened as a chill of fear rocketed his spine.

"HEEAAAARRRRT!" he yelled. Trying to snap her out of it. The gun went off and blood suddenly spattered on Heart's coat as she was knocked away. She shook her head dizzily and growled at the pain of a bullet that was imbedded shallowly in her shoulder, but was surprised to see a smaller furred body covering her, shivering. Her blood red ruby eyes widened in shock to see silver-white fur staining blood red quickly from the clear-shot wound in the poor things shoulder. The bullet had slowed its momentum as it passed through the younger wolfs' body and in doing so came up short before it actually took out Heart's lung or heart.

Lauralai lifted her head to smile up at Heart with her albino-hazed red eyes that glazed over in pain, "You fell for the oldest trick in the book, Heart, I though you said you were a fighter?" the young wolf whimpered in pain as Heart shoved away from her in shock.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! WHY DID YOU DO THAT, IDIOT!" Heart snapped in fear.

"I just healed you. I'm not about to let my patient kill herself all in the same 24 hours I spent healing her. so who you calling an idiot, idiot" Lauralai tried to laugh, but grimaced and lay prone on her side, giving the wound that pierced from her back shoulder blade to the front a bit of relief from pressure.

Hooves pounded in the sand, alerting the soldiers a moment before Sitka and Tsar tore through the left over two men, knocking them down and high-jacking a machine gun dropped from their fall. The human shifted on the great equines back while Tsar strategically zigzagged his pace to dodge bullets as if they couldn't touch him if they tried. Sitka took aim and shot down the one soldiers just as Hige clamped his jaws around the mans' leg and snapped it in two even with the armor on. Tsume jumped up on the other soldiers chest in a moment of distraction the horse gave with its sudden appearance and ripped out the mans throat, then propelled away from the man before his dead body even hit the ground. The angered gray wolf stalked the human that had fallen and was left alive. The same man that shot at Heart and ended up shooting through Lauralai and _still_ hurting Heart's shoulder. He let his teeth sink into the mans throat slowly, so that the pathetic human felt pain as he died instead of going quick with a quick tear of the throat.

Tsume growled in satisfaction that he avenged Heart's pain as best he could for now and tossed the human's neck away as if it were poisoned.

Toboe was the last to scramble to the scene just as Tsar rounded about in a large circled lope to make sure no more enemies lurked near by. The pup cried out in horror when he saw his new crush shot down and in pain as she whimpered against a lost Heart. The black wolf was still in shock that the younger she-wolf was so stupid to blindedly take a bullet!

"Laura!" Toboe quickly padded up to the fallen wolf so he didn't stir the sand near her and get some in her wounds, "Are you okay?" he nosed her neck gently with worry.

"She just got pierced with a bullet, kid and you ask if she's "okay"?" Hige snapped.

"I'M WORRIED!" Toboe snapped desperately.

Sitka swooped down from Tsar's back and quickly eased Toboe out of his way so he could look over Lauralai's wound. He gently placed a hand in the young wolf's fur as she whined softly.

"It's a clean wound and it missed all her internal organs. She'll be fine once we get back to the village." He looked up to see Tsume approaching the large grass to get his friends out, "DON'T GET ANY CLOSER!" Sitka snapped quickly, startling Tsume to freeze his movement toward the plant and spooking the others with his sharp warning, "That plant has paralysis qualities. If you get too close, it will paralyze you. If you inhale it too long or even for a few short pants, it could paralyze your lungs and stop your heart."

Tsume seemed to hesitate only momentarily before he let a vicious snarl pass his lips, "We can't just let them die in there!"

"No, Tsume! You'll be poisoned!" Hige snarled.

Sitka pulled his scarf over his mouth and nose and held his breath, brushing past Tsume to reach in and grab Akira's hind legs like the soldiers had done before. Kiba's body lay slightly atop hers and was dragged out with her.

"Get something to help slow the blood flow on Lauralai's wound." Sitka ordered while he looked over the other two wolves. His eyes narrowed when he looked over Akira.

"What's wrong?" Hige asked.

"She's been inhaling that plant as much as the male has, but her lungs are still strong as ever. She only seems to have been parted from her spirit part way." Sitka awed.

"Her spirit parted?" Toboe echoed.

"It's a spiritual effect the desert has. If one falls to its prey, they one loses their spirit." Sitka explained, "The plant is no exception. There may still be hope for her, but I fear that your other friend's spirit is conflicted and lost." Sitka's hand rest on Kiba's' now boney ribcage, "His lungs breath slower than one in slumber."

"We need to get these four back to the village." Tsume said, scooping up Heart bridal style, much to her grumbling chagrin.

Hige picked up the now fainted Lauralai in his arms after Sitka arranged Kiba and Akira in wolf form to lay over Tsar's back and galloped back to the village.

"The elder of my village knows a good deal about lost souls and spirits of the desert. He can call back your friends!" he shouted over the wind.


	19. Chapter 18 To Be or Not to Be

Chapter 18 To be or Not to be

A/n- Well, it's been what- a month, give or take? Ha-ha! Sorry 'bout the slow update, but things are getting crazy around here with spring and all. Lol!

A word for all the reviewers out there= I. LOVE. YOU. ALL!!

Keep reviewing like that and this story will keep right on track. It feels like Christmas every time I get one! He-he!

RxR

Chapter 18 To be or Not to be

"The blood of the red moon must be spilt so that the new or the full moon will reign over paradise and the new world created from it." Jagura quoted with a smile to her lips, "The flower's tears will weep as the blood wanes and the one remains and it is the sympathy of the gods that opens the path of paradise."

"Sounds like a lovely poem" Diya said at her mistress's side with her head bowed.

"Yes, it does, doesn't it." Jagura took a sip of her whine then turned to the wolf, "My flower is on her merry way here, can you feel if my love is on his way yet?"

"How could he not be, milady?" Diya said, "He knows your men have Cheza with in their clutches. You know he will not allow you to hold on to her."

"That's what I'm counting on. With Cheza here, my love shall return to me and the white wolf that will lead me to paradise will come as well. With his blood, I'll release the most glorious of all paradise. One where I shall find true happiness. Doesn't that sound grand?"

"Of course milady" Diya bowed. Deep inside her heart clenched painfully as Jagura's long fingers played with the chain leash wrapped around Diya's neck that kept her chained to the wall inside the room.

"Shame we haven't found your child." she said softly.

Diya didn't answer. She held back the need to snap at the woman like she did so many other times, 'Please be safe, Lauralai' she thought.

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Akira stumbled down the steep hill in the forest and rolled to the bottom, panting when she stopped and looked up. Good, no sign of a white wolf! She was winning! 

They had been at this game of cat and mouse for 30 minutes and she was surprised that she only spotted Kiba a few times from a distance as he tracked her. She'd thought that he'd sniff her out by now. She was tiring from running so much and started to look around for a suitable hiding spot. 

Stopping to rest for a moment, the red wolf looked around for a place to hide. Exhausted, she leaned against a tall oak tree and looked up to the sky through the many thick branches…. Then got an idea.

Shifting to human form, Akira climbed up the branches to a thick branch that held her weight easily and was hidden from obvious view to anyone below. She leaned back to rest her back against the thick trunk of the tree, glaring at a passing by squirrel that randomly landed on the branch near her head. The rat like creature squeaked in fright and scampered off while she breathed in and out to calm her racing heart, waiting for when she could sense Kiba too close again. She closed her eyes for just a moment to calm down and take her surroundings in.

Meanwhile Kiba frustratedly lifted his nose yet again to the air around him and inhaled deeply, not catching the faintest scent of the female wolf like before. He couldn't smell her. Just the surrounding plant life and other animals near by invaded his nose, yet he knew she had gone this way. He could see a few of her paw prints in the soft ground and a few strands of her fur had rubbed off some of the trees, but he wanted to be able to get straight to the point and sniff her out! 

"Where is she?!" he grumbled, rethinking his decision to goad her into this game….

It was no fun anymore.

He had had enough!

Luckily for him, she was terrible at concealing her path when she was running away to hide. Even with out her scent, he could tell where she went, but that made him have to actually stop every so often to pick up a sight of the trail again as it zigzagged in places. All in all, Kiba was one frustrated wolf.

He stopped once again to take in his bearings and try to catch her trail once again. He stood still and listened. His ears caught no rustle from a wolf's paw nor the faint sound of the heavy panting breath he'd been trailing. His nose was seemingly useless, so he used his sight. Peering around, his golden eyes narrowed on a broken branch. He trotted forward and examined it, sniffing lightly. Small wisps of red fur were still caught on to the twig, but when he took a sniff, no scent other than the tree its' self revealed itself to him. Puzzled, Kiba looked around for another clue, seeing light paw prints still marked in the soft ground. He shook his head at her sloppy escape skills, but followed them anyways.

Akira was starting to get very board with just sitting here waiting for Kiba to find her. She didn't understand why it took him so long, usually he found her with in minutes with that nose of his. It wasn't as strong as Hige, but Kiba had lived in the wild longer than the others and as such, was an excellent tracker in this sort of terrain. She watched the sky through the leaves of the great oak she hid in. her orange eyes lazily following any bird that flew with in her line of vision. Many of them she remembered watching fly about in the cities; like crows, sparrows, cardinals, finches and even an occasional falcon. However, the larger birds fascinated her; like the eagles, hawks, geese and even those weird 'ducks'. She lost herself to her own little world simply looking around and watching the birds fly, wandering what it felt like to be up there with them. 

"Such a wondrous day, two lovers frolic and play. It makes a lonely soul long to stay" a haunting voice hooted close by.

Akira nearly fell out of the tree as she jerked, startled by the sudden voice.

"Who's there?!" she barked. The branch under her groaned at the unaccustomed movement it labored under her weight.

"The red moon has won the full moons' favor, but what of the new moon? Will it show its anger? Will it chose to attack and take its place soon?" it hooted back.

Akira's orange eyes locked with those haunting black-blue tinted eyes that were pupil-less. She growled lowly to hide her own anxiety as she recognized the bird immediately. The last time it had shown up, it led her to her brother at the scentless flower grove in the forest of darkness.

"What do you want bird brain?!" she snapped in anger.

"Where am I, who am I" it spoke, "The mind doth try to seek the truth. Yet when we find it, what will we do?"

"What's that got to do with anything?!" she demanded.

"To remember, to forget, one does, the other frets." 

"Remember?" her eyes widened. Did he mean her and Kiba?

"The heart will long, it will cry out its sad song. But the soul is captured in a vice, it is held in the clutches of death. Cold as ice."

Akira looked to the owl in confusion, "What are you trying to tell me? Whose soul is captured!"

The owl surprised her yet again by flapping its great, silent wings and taking to flight, dive bombing straight for her. Akira moved instinctively as she rolled away, but unfortunately, she also rolled off the branch.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, screwing her eyes shut and waiting for the ground to hit her. She winced when yet another force slammed into her and suddenly, strong arms were under her back and knees, holding her to a strong chest.

Akira blinked to get her blurry eyesight to focus as she finally opened her eyes when she felt no movement. Her orange eyes came in contact with mischievous blue as Kiba smiled down at her with an award winning smirk that clearly stated that he won.

"Got ya" he snorted smartly, lowering his head so their noses touched. He preened with male satisfaction when Akira blushed at his closeness. Well she'd just have to get used to it, as he planned on being as close to her as he could physically get from now on. She was _his _damn it!

"So it seems, you got me" she nodded in agreement, trying to calm her racing heart, "Wanna put me down now so that I can chase you now?"

He seemed to give that a thought, still not moving his face away from hers. His eyes looked out of the corner of his vision as he thought, but then wandered toward her lips and his smirk grew, "Nah, this game tires me."

Akira didn't quite get his meaning, "Oh, well that's fine, we can always go back to the den and-,"

Kiba rolled his eyes and silenced her with his lips crushing to her own. He kissed her thoroughly with enough suggestion to hint what he meant, and this time, made sure she understood his intentions. When he finally let her breathe, her wide eyes stared up to his as she panted for precious oxygen.

"Oh…." She breathed in realization. She now knew that the den was out of the question with this mood raging on between them.

"Yeah" he replied to her sudden realization as he let his forehead rest against her own, waiting for her okay to continue. No matter how much he wanted her, he would be sure and take her only if she was ready.

"Kiba… I'm flattered, really, but I just don't really know what's going on…" she admitted. 

He gave her a dry look, "Don't even think about pulling that one on me. If you truly don't know what mates do, then I'll be forced to carry your ass back to you mother and father, let them explain the birds and the bee's, then haul you back out here."

"No, no, I mean I know _what_ we're… about to… no…. what _you're _trying to do, but I mean…. If this is only a 'caught up in the moment' type deal, I'm sorry" she lowered her gaze shyly.

"Caught in the moment?" he tilted his head in confusion, but then it clicked, "Akira, wolves do mate for life you know."

"Doesn't mean they don't fool around before taking a mate." She said, "Practice makes perfect after all. That's what Hige says, anyways" she mumbled the last part.

Kiba's eyes narrowed as a pang of jealousy shot through him, "And just who is this 'Hige' guy?"

"….Never mind" Akira had forgotten that at the moment Kiba didn't remember any of their friends. She wandered if the way he was acting was also due to something similar to that strange fact. Were his feelings really this way, or was it a freak of nature fluke? 

Kiba hooked a gentle finger under her chin to raise her gaze to his own so she actually saw the truth in his words.

"Akira, I could never just use someone I loved like that. You are my chosen mate and if you don't feel ready to consummate that with me just yet, I can wait till tomorrow…. Or the next day." He admitted with a bit of a grimace.

"What about the day after that?" she lightly teased.

"We'll discuss that if it's the case." He groaned.

"Really now…." She dryly said.

He leveled her with his blue gaze stubbornly, but sighed, caving in, "As long as it takes for you and I to see things eye-to-eye. I'll wait for you to decide what step goes where and when with this relationship."

"You'd do that?" she blinked in disbelief, "That's not very like you."

"People change when they're in love." He admitted, looking deeply into her eyes.

Akira darted her gaze away from his, then looked up to him, "How cold do you think it'll be out tonight?"

"What?" he nearly lost his balance at the sudden change in topic. Here he was talking about an important step in their relationship and she wanted to talk about how cold it was supposed to be.

"I asked how cold you think it'll get tonight?" she repeated honestly curious.

"Why?"

"I wanna know, that's why" she insisted stubbornly.

"It's late spring, Akira, it can't get that cold in the desert when summers' just around the corner." Kiba sighed dryly.

"Good then." She smiled brightly, leaning up and wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him down toward her as she kissed him passionately.

Kiba barely held back as she kissed him with such vigor. He nearly melted as her small tongue passed over his lips, asking for entrance which he felt he couldn't give fast enough. His body was on instant fire. When she pulled back to breathe again, even _he _was a bit winded.

"That was very unlike you." he smirked, "When did you get so passionate?"

She smiled warmly up to him, "That's what people do," she started with a seductive drawl in her voice as she leaned toward him and panted into his neck. Her lips were so close to his ear that her own ear was almost laying against his pulse, listening to the steady beat increase at her closeness and the deep gulp his in his throat as he swallowed in anticipation, "When they're in love" she whispered in his ear, kissing the lobe lovingly before nipping at it with her sharpened canine.

That's when Kiba's restraint snapped in two like a feeble twig it was. His mouth attacked her neck, nipping at her jaw line and pulse, trying to get her to release those little noises he was so addicted to.

The couple slowly eased down to the forest floor, too caught up in one another to even hear the close hoot of an owl as it perched in the oak tree over head. Watching with luminescent dark eyes as the two became lovers while the twilight gave way to the moonlight….

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The old man looked over the two wolves that lay in front of him. His wrinkled face that had been withered by the ways of a long life crinkled in deep focus. He leaned back after a few preciously slow minutes, looking up at the small group that gathered around in a tight semi-circle around him and the wolves. They were the other wolves who had brought the two unconscious ones and Lauralai. The wounded she wolf and the other one that was part of the pack were already bandaged up and taken care of, but they both refused to lay down and rest until they knew the damage done to the two unconscious wolves.

"What do you make of it Elder?" Lauralai asked worried, "Sitka said that the female wasn't completely lost, but how can that be?"

"I know not, Lauralai." The elder rasped in his old voice, "It is strange even to one as old and well versed in the ways of the desert as I"

"Do you know what's wrong with them?" Toboe whimpered where he sat between Heart and Lauralai.

The elder nodded, "I'm afraid it is true that your friends' souls were indeed stolen by the desert. They are in the false paradise right now."

"False paradise?" Hige echoed.

"It's a place were those who are weakened and near death fall prey to the deserts' curse. We weren't affected by it because we are all healthy and didn't fall asleep in the desert near a paralysis plant." Lauralai informed.

"Is there a way to bring them back?" Heart asked tiredly.

The elder smiled, "The female will be easy enough to bring back. She is merely caught in a dream-state right now and her spirit is in need of a guide back to its center, the male however… there is a smaller chance he can be brought back. He probably thinks the world he's in now is the world he always was in."

"But you can try, can't you elder?" Lauralai pleaded.

The elder nodded, "I will do my best to bring them both back. Get some rest, Lauralai." He reassured her.

The wolves watched with slight trepidation as he raised his hands and started to meditate. His left hand took a turtles shell decorated with beads, white horse hair, a rabbit's foot and an eagle's feather and hovered it over the prone bodies. The ceremonial aura started to fill the teepee and made the other wolves entranced at the sudden thickness of spiritual energy.

Then the elder started to speak lowly in an ancient language as he rocked the ceremonial turtle shell back and forth over the bodies. The wolves were startled when the essence candles to either side of the elder burst into flame and the mystical smoke they held slowly swirled above the elder. Entwining and curling around it's self before slowly making its way to the wolves.

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Kiba woke up in a happy state. His entire body felt relaxed and heavy with satisfactory. The sun had woken him up and he noticed he was in wolf form as was his new mate, Akira. The night had indeed gotten chill after their vigorous lovemaking last night and even after they fell asleep in one another's arms, their bodies instinctively shifted to a form that would help stave off the cold. He couldn't help but nuzzle into the fur of his new mate, growling softly as he still couldn't smell her. She still slept on, though she did whimper in her sleep, then shifted closer to him, burring her own nose into the fur of his under belly to hide her eyes from the bright sun.

Kiba's ears perked up when he sensed another's presence. He looked up to see Sasuke approaching them suddenly. The large wolf's dark eyes looked sad. He stopped a safe distance away while his mate and 3 pups joined him where he stood just out of the tree line of the small clearing Kiba and Akira were in. the white wolf was confused, but not embarrassed in the least that his new mate's father found him in such a tender moment with his daughter. Akira was his now, her father had no say so in what they did now.

"It warms my heart that we got to see her happy one last time." Sasuke said cryptically.

"One last time? What do you mean?" Kiba asked, pinning back his ears defensively, "She's found her mate. She'll be happy now."

"Yes, but she wont be here much longer." Shura said while tears streamed down her furred cheeks slowly, "We can hear the ceremonial drums; someone is calling you back to the world of the living."

"World of the….?" Kiba's eyes widened when the faint sound of drums reached his ears. He looked around to see things starting to fade. He felt suddenly bare where Akira's body was. He looked down to see her absent from his side. He stood up in confusion, "AKIRA!"

"I'm here" her faint voice called, "Kiba? Kiba where are you?"

He looked around and saw darkness to his one side, then the clearing at the other with Shura and Sasuke watching him.

"What's going on!" he demanded.

"This world is a limbo for lost souls and those who are deceased." Shura said sadly, "You eventually forget your past life, but since we have always held on to the memory Akira, we were left behind after death."

"Soon, we too will leave this place." Sasuke said.

"Where will you go?" Kiba asked.

"Heaven. Paradise." Shura smiled. Kiba's eyes widened, "Yes, Kiba, paradise is so hard to reach because it is the birth place of life. Heaven. The earth is corrupted and dieing and soon Paradise will open once more to heal it. That is your destiny with Akira and Cheza, to open up Paradise's healing power and unleash it here to create a new world. A new life of paradise."

"Paradise will open up one of two ways when it is breached. It will heal, or it will consume everything into nothingness and open up an even more corrupted world than we already have." Sasuke warned, "That is why the lunar flowers saved you. You will open up the healing paradise."

The clearing started to fade until it looked like a window. Many views of different worlds lined to that side now, each a small window like portal to their realms. It fascinated Kiba.

Then, the owl swooped over him with a low hoot as it disappeared into the darkness.

"Kiba? Where are you?" Akira called, "I'm scared, Kiba, where are you?" she whimpered, "Something's pulling me away from you, help me!"

"AKIRA!" Kiba called back, turning his back on the strange portals and bolting head long into the darkness after his mate, "Just hold on!" 

"Kiba!" she called again, closer this time. Kiba couldn't see a thing in the darkness, but he could feel her close by.

"Where are you?"

"I'm here, follow my voice!" she called in front of him.

Kiba ran right into her, knocking them both down. He quickly stood over her in his wolf form with his tail raised.

"Kiba what's going on? What's that?" she asked when a small speck of light started to get brighter and brighter as it grew in size. It suddenly engulfed them in its power and Akira screamed in fear as Kiba grunted in sudden pain in his gut. He inhaled deeply and froze. He could smell her… he could smell Akira! He buried his nose into her fur and inhaled deeply, taking in her wondrous scent.

"Kiba…..Kiba…." a faint voice call, "Do you know who this one is?"

Akira sat up from under Kiba as the red and white wolf both looked around, trying to find the source of that faint voice, "Cheza?" she whispered.

"This one is so glad both of you are back. This one is waiting for you." the voice seemed to drift off and they felt the presence disappear.

"CHEZA!"

"Cheza!" 

They both shouted out, but the light around them flashed to darkness once more and they couldn't see or feel one another.

"Kiba" Tsume's voice called.

"Tsume…?" Kiba started to remember the faces and voices of their pack.

"Kiba!" Toboe cried out.

"Toboe" Kiba recalled.

"Wake up Kiba!" Hige said rushed.

"Hige?" 

"Damn it, if you don't wake up, I'll make sure your whole life is miserable where ever you are!" Heart snarled.

"H-Heart??"

"That's them, Kiba." Akira said softly. Her face was suddenly visible to him as she smiled warmly, "I'm so glad you remember them all. We're going home…"

"Akira," He whispered. His heart nearly stopped when she too faded from his vision as darkness slowly started to take over again, "AKIRAAA!" he howled out as the heavy darkness took him in…..

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Kiba inhaled sharply, his wolf form giving away to human just before he sat up quickly, wincing as he did, "Gah!" he hissed in pain from the bruises and the weakness of his stomach. He suddenly felt the need to regurgitate….

"KIBA!" Toboe launched himself at Kiba and hugged him.

"We thought you were dead!" Hige growled incredulously.

"Welcome back to the land of the living" Heart smiled.

"And you still look like shit" Tsume smirked.

"Toboe, Hige, Heart, Tsume," Kiba looked to all of them, one face at a time, "I remember you now…."

"Now?" Hige's eyes narrowed.

"When one crosses over fully, one can loose his memory" the elder explained, "That is probably why he was anchored to the female so tightly. It is her spirit that dragged his back."

"Akira! Where's Akira!" he demanded.

"I'm here" she whispered. He looked to his side, seeing the red wolf curled up much like her fox ancestor might have as she weakly looked up to him. Her orange eyes exhausted, "I'm alright, Kiba"

"You look so tired." He said worried.

"And you look so wounded. So we're even" she retorted good naturedly, "Besides, I have you to thank for how tired I am."

"Why do you have to thank Kiba for that?" Toboe asked curiously innocent.

Kiba and Akira froze while both suddenly realized what they'd done on the other side.

"N-nothing," Akira buried her head in her thick bushy tail to hide from curious stares of her pack mates.

"What do you mean nothing?" Hige pried, his curious pout deepened, "What'd you guys do over there?"

"She said we did nothing so leave her alone" Kiba snapped. He too felt a bit drained from all this spirit-moving.

"What's really going on here?" Heart demanded.

The elder chuckled, "It's best to let the two of them sleep to recover their energy. I ask that we leave them here in peace to rest."

"But-," Hige protested.

"Come on porky, we'll badger them about it later." Tsume shoved Hige toward the flap of the tent that the Elder held up for them all to exit, then he too left the two exhausted lovers to rest, smiling knowingly over his shoulder before letting the flap fall into place.

"You're sure you're fine, Akira?" Kiba asked, shifting to his wolf form once more so he could curl up around her. He knew that she knew he didn't mean physically either.

"It was nice to see my mother and father one last time," Akira admitted, "I was so afraid they'd become lost souls, but now I am reassured that they're waiting for me in the heaven of paradise."

"Yes, but you will not be seeing them for a very long time." He licked her muzzle with his long wolf tongue, "You're life is with me now and we'll be living it for a very long time. I won't even let you think of dieing before we even see our great-great-grand children born."

"You're in for the long haul, huh?" she smiled as she rested her body against his and started to drift off. Her head resting on his forelegs while he rested his own head over her neck, "I love you, Kiba"

"And I love you, Akira. Now get some rest. I have a feeling Hige will be on our necks soon as we leave this tent."

"Teepee"

"Whatever" 

Akira chuckled at her mates' dismissal.


	20. Chapter 19 We're Not Done Yet

Chapter 19- Toboe's Survival Instict

A/N-

A few shout outs to all of the wonderful reviewers:

Shadow- Are you serious about the whole video/game thing? If so, I say go for it! But all you gave me for contact was the screen name 'Shadow' so I didn't really have much to work with to get back to ya. Sry bout that, try and contact me through Email "dessydehalfbreedfox yahoo .com" (just take out the spaces)

Wildcreature- I'm happy you like Jazz so much, I was hoping he'd turn out as a liked character

TheLeopardDemonNovelist- huggles) THANKS ZANNY!!

RavenDiesel1- Happy to know you like the story

Emeraldream-Here's an update hope you like it!

Leggy freak003- I seriously didn't have very good expectations for this story since it started as just a side story to keep the imagination going, but with you and all the others saying how good it is it makes me feel happy and want to put forth more effort thanks for your support!

Kagome333- huggle)s thanks for telling me you like de story

Chapter 19- We're not Done Yet

Cheza's small body convulsed almost as she sneezed. Her wolf companions in the other two cages bound tightly to the bed of the army truck lifted their eyes to her worriedly.

"Cheza?" Blue whimpered.

"This one is fine. This ones' nose just had a tickle in it." Cheza smiled.

Jasper gave her a doubtful look, then turned his attention to the flapping cover of the truck. It was a covered-wagon style truck, but the flap door had managed to loosen in the harsh weather's beating outside and was letting the cold winds slither inside the already chilly atmosphere of the truck bed.

"You're just not used to so much cold at one time for so long, Cheza. Stay closer to where our cages are connected, my fur will help stave off the cold air." He advised gently.

"Thank you, Jazz." She smiled at his hesitation at the use of his nickname. Since his mother and father were gone, the only one to call him that name was usually Akira.

With the flower maiden settled against the barred walls that were against Jaspers', she pressed herself as close as possible to the furred warmth the wolf had to offer as he too made an effort to get as close as possible to her. Blue laid her head back down on her paws as she curled up across from them on the other side of the truck bed.

"How long do you think we have until they come back here to get her?" Blue asked.

Jasper was silent for a moment, "I… I don't know. I know they're Orchems troops trying to keep Cheza way from Jagura's troops and I know she wants the flower maiden and that she and Darcia had some type of past together, but I just don't know the reasons why." He admitted.

"What will we do if they want to take her from us?" Blue asked uncertainly.

"Are you actually going to let them?" Jasper challenged.

Blue growled lowly, "I'll kill as many as I can before they hurt her!" she snapped.

The truck jerked violently as an eerie sound in the air, followed by an earth trembling 'CABOOM!'

The truck slammed to a sudden sliding stop in the snow, knocking it's cargo in the bed around a bit, but the cages were bolted tightly to stay upright. Jasper held Cheza tightly to himself and the bars that separated them with his arm he was able to slide between the bars so she wouldn't get banged up. Blue wasn't as fortunate. The sudden momentum of the stop threw her to her feet and off balance so she was banged against the bars of her cage.

"BLUE!" Cheza cried out worried as the Truck became still.

"I'm alright, Cheza." Blue reassured as she rubbed her sore head in human form now to better brace herself if something like that happened again, "What's going on!"

Jasper recognized the scents of a new group of soldiers and the sound of airships above, "It's an ambush!"

"From who?"

"Darcia doesn't have an army any more, it must be Jagura's' men!" Jasper started looking over the build of his cage critically.

"They're still after her?" Blue looked to Cheza.

"All the Nobles are after her. There's no escaping that fact." Jasper started fiddling with the screws of his cage he could reach.

Blue watched him perplexed by what he was doing at a time like this, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU MESSING AROUND FOR? WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO GET OUT!" she barked angrily at him.

Jaspers cage door fell off its' hinges, freeing the silver wolf that gave Blue a dry glare, "Oh, look at that. A way to get out…."

"What did you just do??" Blue gawked.

"Please. These things were poorly made for stray dogs to be cramped in. the kennels at the lab in free city were more complex then this and I broke my sister and me out of those practically every other night!" Jasper bragged as he hurried up to get Cheza and Blue free as well.

"How'd you come up with something so human?"

"I lived with humans, just like you, and I was a guard dog for the Keep in FreeCity. Ya tend to learn things once you've been around prisoners for too long. Just like you're a professional hunts dog." He explained as he freed Cheza then moved on to Blue's cage.

Blue was silent when he mentioned her being a hunts dog. It made her remember her pops and the way he looked when she ran away from him. She hoped he was okay. Him and Hige…

"Hey, you're free now, wake up!" Jasper snapped at her as yet another ear-splitting bomb went off close by, "Get up and at'em, we gotta get outta here!" he urged her as he ripped open the flap of the truck bed and was blasted by a freezing cold gust of wind, "Stay as close to Cheza as you can and cover her. Follow my lead"

"Got it." Blue nodded, taking a hold of Cheza's hand, "Stay close, Cheza. This doesn't look like a walk in the park."

Cheza nodded, "This one is ready."

Jasper grinned and vaulted himself over the truck bed side to land firmly on the ground. He turned around and pulled the lever that let down the back of the truck then helped the girls down. He snarled when he sensed soldiers nearby.

"Stay here and stay low." He ordered before looking over his shoulder to see where the soldiers were. His eyes narrowed when he saw Jagura's men slaughtering Lord Orchems while they searched the trucks. Their advanced armor left the poorly protected soldiers of lord Orchem sorely at odds as they practically swept through them. He quickly darted back to the girls, "They're getting too close, we'll have to make a run for it. We'll weave in and out of the trucks and use them for protection if they try to shoot us. Got it?"

Blue nodded.

Jasper gritted his teeth as they got ready to bolt, "On my signal….GO!" he shot forward with Blue and Cheza close on his heels. Blue made sure to stay at Cheza's back to ensure her safety if they were caught in the cross fire of bullets.

"THERE!" a soldier called out.

"Keep going!" Jasper growled to Blue when the half wolf wanted to turn and fight off the men pursuing them, "Don't attack them unless it's unavoidable. It'll only slow us down and give them a chance at capture!"

The human soldiers were suddenly caught up in the battle with one another and abandoned their pursuit of the flower and two wolves. Jasper took that to his advantage and took a sharp turn between the last few trucks to hide behind and let Cheza catch her breath while the wolves thought up a better plan to escape. During their little zigzag run between the trucks, Jasper was able to catch sight of where the battle was taking place. They were heavily surrounded; both sides of the battle were tightly camped around the caravan. They'd have to fight their way out if they were to escape both sides.

"Are you well enough to fight?" Jasper asked Blue who scowled at him.

"OF COURSE I AM!" she snapped back defensively.

"Good because that's our only option." Jasper said with out looking back to her as he peered out to check and see if the coast was clear enough.

"That's fine by me! Let them come!" Blue snarled heatedly.

"Always eager for a fight, ne?" the silver wolf commented dryly. His eyes widened when he sensed humans nearly on top of them, "GET DOWN!"

He leaped over them to the other side of the truck and snatched one of the humans by the neck, slamming him against the side of the truck.

"HUB!" a woman gasped.

Jasper's blue and green mismatched eyes widened when he realized this man had no armor, but was armed. He recognized the scruffy look of the blond hair and blue-green eyes of the man, "Detective!" he quickly let go of Hub and let the man drop unceremoniously to the snowy ground, "What are you …" he looked up and saw Cher was there too, "What are you two doing here??"

"We spotted the caravan a little ways off and decided to follow it." Cher explained. Another bomb rocked the earth around them, causing them all to flinch and brace themselves.

"BLOODY GOOD THAT DID YA!" Jasper snarled, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON HERE! WE'RE IN THE CROSSFIRE OF SOME GODDAMNED NOBLE WAR!"

"Wait, what are you doing here?" Hub blinked in confusion, "And who are you??"

Before Jasper could answer, the wolf got too antsy with them being out in the open and quickly dragged the humans back to the safety behind the large tucks.

"Hub, that's Jasper. You know, the guard dog from the Keep in FreeCity?" Cher explained as if it were obvious.

Hub's eyes widened, "You mean _he's_ one of them? A _wolf_?!"

"Is there something wrong with that?" Blue bit back.

Hub looked down to see the young woman protectively holding Cheza to her as the Flower Maiden covered her ears to block out the noises of the battle around them. Her vivid blue eyes reminded him of someone.

"Easy, Blue they're not here to take Cheza away." Jasper tried to calm Blue's protective intent against the humans with Cheza so near.

Blue snorted, "Of course I knew that. I remember these two from when I was with Pops not so long ago."

"Pops? You mean Quent? That old guy?" Hub made the connection, "Oh my god! You're his dog! Blue!"

"He's fast on the uptake isn't he?" Jasper looked to Cher who sighed in exasperation.

"Another down fall to a relationship." Cher smiled.

"Is that why we divorced? Cher!" Hub yelped.

"Sshhh!" Jasper hissed at them. He peered over the side and growled, "They're cornering us. They're gonna try and force us to come out!"

"What's it look like out there? How's Orchems troops doing?" Cher asked.

"They're holding their own, but all they've been doing is defend against the aerial assault from the airships. Only a few of Jagura's soldiers are actually on the ground. No doubt searching for Cheza." Jasper nodded to the flower maiden.

"Then we'll kill them before they have a chance." Blue snarled and bolted out in the open to attack.

"BLUE! NO!" Jasper shouted after her, darting forward to try and stop her, but the soldiers already spotted the black and silver wolves rushing at them and hailed bullets at them.

Hub and Cher tried their best to defend Cheza while Jasper tried to help Blue. The black wolf leapt in the air and shoved the chest of one of Jagura's soldiers down, knocking him over. Her sharp fangs scraped at the armor that protected his neck, trying to snap it, but the soldier shoved her off of him and sent a stun blast at her which she dodged swiftly. The man could barely sit up before the much large silver wolf pounced on him to finish what Blue had started. His honed and sharpened fangs easily bit through the armor of the soldier and crushed the wind pipe, suffocating the man as his life's blood oozed out. Jasper jumped away from the now dead man as the other soldiers shot at him. His mismatched color eyes darted at Blue's blue ones.

"Fall back!" he demanded.

"Too late for that!" Blue hissed as they continued to dodge bullets.

The wolves were caught off guard when they heard Cheza's scream of fear. Jag aura's soldiers had gotten past them and were going after the flower and humans. Cher and Hub were thrown aside like rag dolls as the soldiers took a hold of Cheza.

"CHEZA!" Blue yelped, but another soldier attacked her.

"CHEEZAAAAAAA!" Jasper roared as he knocked down all in his way to get to her. a low hum from above made him look up and see a transport beam preparing to fire down where the soldier held Cheza at the ready. Hub made a desperate attempt to attack the soldier just as the beam shot down, engulfing the soldier, Cheza, Jasper, and Hub. When it faded, so did the people caught in its light.

"Hub?" Cher gasped.

"Cheza… Jasper?!" Blue was at a loss, "what happened?"

Cher looked around, "Jagura's troops. That's all they wanted. They're already gone," Cher observed.

"Where are they taking her?"

Cher looked in the direction the airships were headed already, "Jagura's paradise."

"Paradise?"

"A city she named for the sake of her cause to open up a paradise for all people." Cher explained.

"We have to go there! That's where they're taking Cheza, right?"

"And Hub and Jasper. That's where we'll go." Cher nodded, "I know the general running this caravan. We'll take a vehicle and take back what they took from us."

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Jasper was at a loss. Cheza was shivering and crying in his arms. She was so scared and he could hardly do anything to ease her fear. He looked to Hub who sat close by. He was also at a loss.

"Hey, cheer up, Cheza" Hub tried weakly to ease her fear, "Jasper and I wont let them hurt you."

"I feel so much pain." Cheza sniveled, "So much. The earth is crying out in pain with all the blood that it's having to soak into the soil. It's crying" she choked on a sob.

"The earth?" Hub whispered.

"She's an alchemic combination of a human soul and a lunar flower." Jasper explained, "It's no surprise that as a plant, she can understand the earth when it's sad…. And dieing."

"The Earth is dieing?"

"How else do you explain this madness around us?" Jasper bitterly chuckled, "It's why the wolves are so driven to find paradise before the world dies out and the small chance we have at survival is gone. What is this life with out some sort of hope?"

"So that's why you're searching for paradise…" Hub said more to himself than Jasper. Both men were silent while Cheza's sobs became less and less until she too fell asleep in Jaspers arms.

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"Look who decided to wake up." Tsume chuckled when the flap of the elder's teepee lifted and out walked Akira then Kiba. Both still looked a bit tired, but rested none-the-less.

Akira blushed at the knowing smirks the oldest of the pack were giving her, "C-Cut it out, guys!" she growled feebly.

Toboe and Lauralai shared confused looks then shrugged it off as some strange adult inside joke.

"You still haven't told us what happened to you on the other side. Kiba doesn't look so anal so it must have been good." Hige bribed.

"Well, I did see Shura and Sasuke" Kiba admitted.

"Sasuke?" Luralai tilted her head curiously.

"Akira's father and step-mother." Toboe explained.

Lauralai frowned a bit, "It's strange. I feel like I've heard of him before somewhere…."

"Deja'vu?" Hige shrugged.

"So you met Akira's mom and dad, but what happened? Why'd that happen anyways? I thought they were…. Well you know…" Heart didn't want to say it out loud with Akira there.

"Dead?" Tsume offered.

Heart elbowed him in the gut, satisfied when the wind rushed out of him with an 'OMPH!'

"What was that for?!" he snarled.

"Be a bit more considerate, Tsume." Heart growled dryly. Her red eyes darted from him to Akira to emphasize her meaning.

"Don't worry about me. I surely can't hear you from five feet away…." Akira droned sarcastically then rolled her eyes, "What we were trapped in was a kind of limbo for lost souls. Mother and father regretted not being able to see to my happiness when they died and as such, their souls were left behind. A kind of unfinished business type thing."

"But after they saw how happy she was once again, their souls were gratified and lost all regrets. So they've probably moved on by now." Kiba added as an after thought with a strange bright smile on his usually aloof face.

It unnerved the rest of the pack….

Why was he so …. Happy….

"So what do we do now?" Tsume asked.

"We go after Cheza, duh!" Akira barked as if it were obvious.

"We don't know where she's gone- she could be anywhere by now" Hige argued.

"Jagura probably has her by now." Lauralai said softly.

"Jagura?" Heart growled.

"I thought Orchem had her again" Toboe blinked.

"Jagura was after, right?" the others nodded, "By now, if they don't have her yet, Jagura's troops will capture her and she'll be taken to Jagura's paradise."

"Paradise?" Tsume scowled.

"A name she gave the city of her Keep in honor of the paradise she intends to open." Lauralai explained.

"So now she's killing wolves AND slandering our holy land!" Hige snarled.

"Bitch…." Heart snorted.

'You have no idea' Laura thought inwardly.

"So where is this…. Jagura's paradise?" Akira asked, not liking the way the city name sounded on her tongue.

"Let's call it Jagura's Keep." Kiba grumbled, also not liking the way it sounded.

"Across the sea of frozen ice north of the desert. From there, it's with in the northern lands of the endless blizzard." Lauralai said.

"You sound as if you know this place." Tsume said suspiciously.

Lauralai ducked her head, "Well… I was there before I came to the village here not too long ago." She admitted.

"Really?" Toboe brightened, "Do you think you could lead us back there?"

"Well…" Lauralai could barely look Toboe in his hopeful eyes, "I… I… I can't."

"Why not?" Toboe's mood dimmed sadly.

"Well… I…" the whinny of one of the village horses made her get an idea for an excuse, "I'm needed here in the village." She excused lamely.

"Go" The elder said from his teepee, "You belong with your kind and the lunar flower calls to you."

Lauralai gulped, "Bu-But….!"

"Don't worry about us, Laura. We'll be fine." Sitka nodded from where he was grooming Tsars coat to shine. The horse nodded and tossed his head with an encouraging whinny.

"Unless of course there's a particular reason you don't want to go back." Tsume baited, dodging another elbow attack from Heart, but not seeing the hand come up to whop him upside the head as a back up. He growled indignantly at the pleased female who smirked back.

"I'll do it!" Lauralai nearly blurted out.

"Well then, I guess that also means Toboe'll be join us this time?" Hige smirked at the blush the younger wolf tried to fight down, "Am I right?"

"Shut up!" Toboe snapped defensively, glancing at Lauralai then to the ground embarrassed.

Akira watched curiously as Toboe seemed to be so flustered around this new girl. It was cute, but where did this girl come from? 'Must have been when we were separated.' She thought then shrugged, 'It's so cute that Toboe has a crush on her!'

"Well, if you're rested….?" Tsume stood up looking to Kiba.

Kiba snorted, "Just be sure and don't hold me back." The white wolf growled in retort at Tsume's barb at his endurance. He turned the new youngest female of the group, "You said north?"

Lauralai nodded.

"Then let's go. Cheza's waiting." Kiba said, starting off, his arm reached out to drape around Akira so she'd follow. The others watched on curiously, not accustomed to public displays like that from Kiba so easily. Now they really were curious what happened while they were at that limbo place.

Tsume ended up following after the two of them first, followed immediately by Heart with Hige nudging the younger wolves onward as he took up the rear.

"Seriously, Kiba" Heart probed, "What happened?"

Kiba groaned. This was going to be a looooong trek.

Akira bit back a giggle as she snorted to try and keep it down. Then she looked up to the twilight sky, noticing the silver moon was only half full, but it bled red more than before. Her temples started to pound lightly in an oncoming head ache and she hissed in a small out let of the pressure she felt.

"Akira?" Kiba asked concerned when she hissed in pain.

"It's nothing. Just a bit of an on coming head ache" she smiled up at him.

"See what you did, Heart?" Tsume scoffed, "You gave her a head ache with all your brown nose'n!"

"Brown nosing!" Heart bit back with a scowl, "Then you're just every bit as guilty as I should be! I know you wanted to know too!"

"Believe what you want, Brown noser." Tsume snorted, looking away from her pointedly.

"At least _look_ at me when you insult me you prick!" she snarled angrily.

The others sighed.

Oh yes, it was going to be a very…. _Very _long trek to Jagura's Keep.

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Jasper's senses tinged with the feel of danger approaching. Their ride on this forsaken airship he had come to loath and hate had been fairly quiet. They had been teleported to the same little cell, huddled close to keep one another warm in the dimly lit freezer and had been left alone by the soldiers. But that was all about to change in the next instant.

A soldier armed with the steel-like armor covering his entire frame and looking somewhat like a robot walked in. a strange contraption was in his hand. A scanner of some-sorts maybe, but the noise coming from it made the hair on the back of Jazz's neck stand even straighter than the noise from the airship. He stood protectively over Hub and Cheza while Hub took the flower in his arms to shield her from a possible threat. Jasper didn't bother trying to hide the way his fangs begged to be lengthened into their long deadly wolf fangs as he snarled warningly at the soldier when two more followed the bastard.

"What do you want!" he snapped.

The scanner machine went wild with lights flashing and sounds beeping when Jasper spoke. The soldier had been letting it point at each one of them, but when it was directed at Jasper, it went livid with life.

"It's one of them. Dispose of him" the soldier motioned to the other two.

Jasper braced himself readily and snarled even louder. Cheza's wide magenta eyes widened, "Jasper-NO!" she cried. Hub quickly tried to calm her; least the soldiers direct their attention to one of them.

Jasper looked from one soldier to the next, then glanced outside the window. He looked back quickly when one of the soldiers' spear-guns started to power up. So they intended to kill him in front of Cheza, did they? 

'And I thought Jagura saved that for her eyes only' he scoffed.

"Jasper please!" Cheza begged sobbing now.

The silver wolf looked to the window then down to Hub, "Don't fail her!" he demanded as he bolted for the window and crashed through it, plummeting down to the earth bellow.

"Suicidal, isn't he?" one of the soldiers remarked.

"It'll relax the tracking system from beeping so much once he's dead. One less thing to worry about. Back to your posts." The main soldier ordered as they left.

Cheza wrenched herself away from Hub and ran to the window, "JASPEEEEEEEEEEERRR!"

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	21. Chapter 20 Call to the Brave

Chapter 20 Call to the Brave

A/N- Dear god there are so many reviews AGAIN! It just makes me want to jump around and do a jig or something

Okay, Review responses - - -

Shadow- five days from the fourth… hmm, hopefully that's ended by now then. Sorry about the slow uptake on things on my part, the ACT test is literally becoming my ball-and-chain in life at the moment. Here's the answers to ur brother's questions as you have requested:

1.Does kiba remember anything else from his past.

A- In the "other world" which I refered to as the world be a limbo of lost spirits that had lost their way in the mystic desert of sorts and had lost their lives or souls like Akira's parents or fell under the spell of the desert paralis plant like Kiba and Akira. Kiba didn't remember anything of his past like his friends or cheza in that world because his soul was captured completely by the spell. It was Akira's presence, who hadn't completely succumbed to the spell that dragged his soul back to remembering. As for his past as a pup, I don't see him reliving it too much in the future but he has not experienced any amnesia about that part of his life. I hope that explains it….

2. does kiba and akira make out again

A- Ofcourse they do. This wouldn't be a romantic story with out the heavy stuff implied. Lol, but from here on out, there's a lot of Adventure scenes that I'm trying to juggle with the touching ones between Akira and Kiba. I shall find a way though

3. dose or did kiba and akira gain a speacil abiliy or power from crossing between worlds if so is it dark or light power

A- as for the whole mystic power of good and evil and special ability, none that came from that spirit world episode. The general effect of that was the fact that Kiba met Akira's parents, Akira got closure, and expresses abnormalties in the fact that Akira didn't succomb to the spell. So in a way, Akira does have some special powers, but those are connected to the "red-moon" legend that will soon come to be in the following chapters.

Tigerjaw- Nice name and I'm proud that I can make this story so likeable for you.

fannyone325- Thank you always love compliments

freddbing323- I updated already! Lol

Furyguy- YES! Score for Jazz's goal!

ScaresofRemorse – I now know the city is truly called "Freeze City" and to tell you the truth, I had no idea until you brought it to the light to me. Sorry about that, but for the sake of the story, I'll just leave it be to "Free-city" in this story until I finish the actual plot of it. After I get it all worked out, then I'll go back and make the small fine tune ups such as that one. Thanks for pointing that out huggles)

Venom- Thou hast updated hope you enjoy

EmilyRuby- JazzXBlue was just a coincidence. They don't end up together, but they do form a kinship between one another.

Prettykitty67- Again, I have updated, enjoy

Wildcreature- More Kiba/Akira romance you say? Well then, let's bring out the big guns then

RedFang- Again, another cool nickname, where do you guys get this stuff? Nice name, and thanks for the compliment

-A/N- Okay it's just me again. Lol, I believe that's all the reviewers from Chapter 19 this time around. Sorry if I missed anybody. And I have a special treat for all:

Announcement!! Announcement!! Announcement!! Announcement!! Announcement!! Announcement!! Announcement!! Announcement!! Announcement!! Announcement!!

-Had to get your attention some how…

If you love the fic, please tell me what you guys like about the visual. I'm no director, but I have had a good reviewing on Youtube under the name "KuramaAlchemist". Anyways, I created a Song dedication to Lullaby for a stormy Night with the original song that inspired this creation. It's a KibaXAkira AMV at Youtube . com by KuramaAlchemist (Me) so if you'd like to see it, please don't hesitate to go and check it out. Hopefully this link below will take you directly to it the vid, but if not, someone tell me in a review and I'll remedy that—

"http : / www .you tube. com / watch ? v JDleCuhNPHs" with out the spaces,

**End of Announcement, continue to the fic below and enjoy!!**

Chapter 20 Call to the Brave

It was cold. The wind and the snow were letting up in the small town that lay in ruin from Jagura's troop's invasion. One of the many towns that had fallen to the mighty army under Jagura's control. A cattle truck waited as the survivors of the onslaught board its bed. It was one of many that were on their way to take the refugees to Jagura's Paradise where even people who once lived in the enemy domes were said to roam free and unabashed. A special squad of Jagura's troops even ran the trucks, showing sympathy to the people who surrendered willingly, unlike the soldiers that fought them.

An old man in a large trench coat and brown hat pulled his collar closer to his face to keep the wind off his neck. He hunched forward with the other men, women and children that huddled together in the fearful icy chill of the storm as it seemed to relax its angered howling wind for now. A small break in the powerful blizzard sure to come as the caravan was about to cross the land of the endless blizzard to Jagura's Paradise.

The men running the truck motioned for the passengers waiting to board and everyone crowded in, thankful that the small enclosed space at least offered some warmth when it was quickly being filled with humans with more than enough body heat to share. The old man was one of the last to board. He was about to step on up when a young voice called out.

"Wait!"

He looked back to see a sandy-blond young man with strange miss-matched eyes. Quent didn't much care about the odd coloring of the boys' eyes, but noticed that he was dragging in a limp in the snow as he hurried to the truck bed. He was clutching his side and his cloths seemed bloodstained.

"Just who are you, boy?" one of the soldiers asked accusingly.

"Not a spy are you?" another bit out untrusting.

"He's with me." Quent grumbled. Surprising himself even with his show of compassion to the lad, "My nephew got caught in the crossfire, you see" he quickly explained.

"All right then. Get him up. We need to get a move on to keep schedule." One of the soldiers nodded easily enough.

Quent held out a hand for the boy to grasp and together with the help of a few more passengers, hefted the injured boy into the covered bed of the truck while the soldiers closed the back and knotted the cover flap doors closed.

The truck rumbled to life and the journey began. One by one, the anxious travelers standing up chose to sit down in the bed and huddled next to one another, conversing with themselves. All anxious with what was happening. Many seemed nearly mad with what has been going on.

Quent and the boy exchanged no other words to one another other than a quick thank you from the boy after he was helped in and had his wounds checked on from a worried mother nearby with a gurgling child in her arms.

"Thank you miss, but I'll be fine" he said after the woman asked if he wanted her to stitch him up when she had helped dress a few of his wounds, "It looks worse than it really is. Right Uncle?"

Quent was taken aback slightly, but gruffed out a "Yeah" none the less.

"This is it… the end of everything" a lanky looking man next to Quent and the young man jittered nervously, biting his thumb, "Soon everything'll just disappear. Nothing will escape. None will survive. We're all going to die" he sounded half mad. It made even Quent sick to his stomach a bit.

"Will you shut your yammering? You haven't shut up about things we already know since an hour ago!" an irritated man hissed from across them as he rummaged through a sack he had stolen from a fallen soldier of Jagura's men. He pulled out a few valuables to inspect closer, "Ha, HA! This'll fetch a nice price." He held up a golden watch.

"Thieves have no need to breathe air" the young man mumbled under his breath, instantly having a dislike for the man across from them. Quent agreed whole heartedly.

"It'll never stop. There's nothing we can do" the man blubbered on.

"I said can it!" the irritated shifty eyed man barked. He pulled out something else at the bottom of the bag and grinned wickedly as if he just struck gold, "HA HAHAHAHAHA!" he cackled as he pulled out two silver necklaces with dog tags on them that had a green jewel in the middle, "This is the key to paradise! I can sell the extra for MILLIONS!"

"Not even money will matter anymore!" the other man blabbered.

"WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!" the man rummaging stood quickly, snatching the other blubbering man up by the collar and knocking the injured boy out of the way. The sandy-haired youth bit his lip in pain and there were gasps from the other frightened people of the truck as they watched on.

"Stop it! He's injured and that man is half mad!" Quent tried to appeal to the other man, but was met with a gun pointed at him. The others began to panic, but they were all too frightened to move.

"FUCK'N SHUT UP! JAGURA'S GONNA SAVE US! THEY SAY HER KEEP IS A CLOUD A DREAMS! PARADISE!" the man insisted, flaunting his gun threateningly at any who might oppose him.

"Paradise, huh? Ha ha hahaha-gulchst!" the man nearly choked in the now madder mans grip as he shoved the point of the gun pass his teeth in his mouth.

"I knew you had a big mouth to be spouting all that CRAP!" The mad man sneered.

Ironically, the man with a gun shoved in his mouth laughed as much as he could manically with the gun still half way shoved in his mouth, "It's all over, OVER!"

BANG!

The man fell dead where he stood, shocking the other people in the crowded truck. Blood quickly slicked the floor of the back of the truck. There was a hush of nervousness from the crowd and the young girl the mother had nestled next to her bawled in fear. Her mother too petrified to comfort her. The murderer tensed, probably shocked he had just killed a man. Quents wide eyes looked on in disbelief, but the boy next to him seemed to look numb.

"I… I told that guy to shut up…" the murderer hissed under his breath as if he couldn't control himself much longer, "I warned him to keep his mouth shut….. But he wouldn't listen!" he gritted his teeth as the small child continued to bawl, making him tense.

The boy's green and blue eyes focused on the man's hand where the small hand gun was being gripped. The guy was going into a panic!

"I told the guy to shut up…. To shut up…" the man repeated to himself. He suddenly whirled on the girl, gun at the ready and his face maddened, "JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Quent and the boy were on the move. The boy went for the gun, shoving it upward where the released bullet shot through the roof, startling the people on the truck. Quent went to grab the man to restrain him, but the man was surprised by the boy's sudden movement and lost his balance.

"NO!" Quent shouted as he tried to grab the man to pull him back. The tell-tail slipping sound from the man's boot sliding in the freshly spit blood was the madman's demise. Quent grabbed at him, missing only a fraction of the clothing- grasping on to the two chained dog tags the man had looted earlier. He and the boy watched helplessly as the man fell from the back of the truck. The gun going off once more as impact came on the man's body.

The people sat in silence, fearing what these other two men would do. Quent couldn't register what happened either, he seemed stunned as well, but the boy reacted quickly to calm them all.

"It's alright everyone, we're safe now." He said calmly and soothingly, "Does anyone else feel the need to get their anger, frustration, and or anxiety out while were at this?"

No one spoke.

"Very well then. It's late. We should all get some rest." He weakly sat back down, wincing as his wounds were strained.

Quent plopped next to him, seeing the boy look to the child that was still sobbing in fear. Her mother had now started to try and console her, but the child still cried out in fear.

"Hey there, what's your name?" the boy smiled.

The girl sniveled, caught off guard when the older good-looking boy smiled at her and asked her a question, "Silvia" she sniveled. Her big blue eyes looked up to him, searching for something that wouldn't scare her.

"That's a pretty name, Silvia. Mine's Jasper." He said gently. Everyone was thankful that she had calmed down.

"H-hello" she blushed, still sniveling her tears.

"Did those men scare you?" she nodded, "They were pretty scary weren't they." He sympathized as she nodded again and the tears started to well up again, "Aw, don't cry, Silvia. Don't cry." He soothed, "You're too cute to cry."

"But I'm scared of the soldiers and those bad men"

"Those bad men aren't here anymore. No one will hurt you. The soldiers are taking you and your family somewhere safe. There's no need to fear." he reassured her.

She nodded and turned to her mother when her mother nudged the girl to offer her some food. The woman mouthed a 'Thank you' to Jasper and he nodded back to her. He then turned to his stunned 'Uncle'.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced," Jasper inquired with a light smile ever present to relax the mood.

"Quent" Quent said with out knowing it.

"Well, Uncle Quent, I'm Jasper." Jasper held out a hand. When Quent grasped it, he felt the inhuman aura to Jasper and his eyes widened. Jasper knew he knew his secrete and leaned in close, "And yes, Uncle, I know you're the wolf hunter, but I also know that you're searching for Blue." Quents eyes widened at the wolf, "Stay nice for now and we'll both search for her, old man. I promise no harm will come to you if you don't shoot me."

"Cant even do that much" Quent lightly smirked, "My guns busted."

"Do we have a deal?"

"Never thought I'd see the day that I'd make a deal with a devil of the wolf" Quent sighed, taking Jasper's offered hand to shake, "The world has gone crazy…. Really, REALLY crazy."

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Kiba looked down from the icy cliff he and the others stopped to catch their breath at. Down below, the ice bobbed and crushed against one another in the small currents of the water beneath them. The ice stretched on and on, making a daunting picture for the wolves.

"Wh-what is this?" Akira's eyes widened at all the ice. First sand and now ice!

"Is it the ocean?" Toboe awed.

"No. It's the sea of ice." Lauralai said. Her voice seemed very subdued and her body shook slightly from the cold and the nervousness.

"Sea of Ice?" Akira echoed, looking closer as the some of the ice flats smashed against one another. The sound made her ears fold downward, "We're not actually gonna cross this, are we?" she turned to Kiba who looked to Lauralai expectantly.

Lauralai shook her head, "There's no other way around it. This sea cuts through the continents that would be connected by a land bridge of ice in the winter."

"This isn't winter??" Hige gawked.

"No, it's late spring…. I think" Laura said a bit unsure.

"So that's it then" Tsume leaped down from the ledge and started walking across the ice that split and crackled around him. He carefully avoided the large cracks in the thick ice and stood on a flat that was larger than the rest to look back at the others watching from above, "We cross it."

Kiba followed with out a word with Hige and Heart at his tail. Akira chose to be the one to stay with the younger ones to make sure they got across alright. She urged them onward to follow the others.

Luralai landed swiftly on the ice and followed the older wolves with out too much a problem, but Toboe slipped on the slippery surface and his paw caught in the icy water. He yelped and drew back suddenly.

"ACK! That's COLD!"

"Well of course! You know there's water under the ice, right?" Hige teased.

"YEAH!" Toboe bit back a blush, "Of course I knew that!" he quickly followed Laura's example and leaped over the cracks of the ice to catch up then passed the others giddily, "Come on! It's not that cold! This feels great! Let's get going!" he called back to them.

The others watched dumbly as Akira, light on her feet as ever, approached and watched the young wolf dash off.

"Come on guys!" he called.

"Coming!" Laura called, bounding off across the ice to catch up. The adults shook their heads while Akira just smiled.

"What's with him? It's FREEZING" Hige groaned.

"He's such a pup" Tsume sighed.

Kiba started to trot after the youthful wolves, signaling the others to follow. Heart took her spot at Akira's side, "Let's just hope the pup's new found energy doesn't make him slip again."

"I WON'T SLIP AGAIN!" Toboe barked back.

Akira giggled at Hearts dumbfounded look.

As the day wore on, Kiba and the other elder wolves once again were leading the front with the younger wolves following and Akira taking up the rear. Kiba, Heart, Tsume and Hige all leaped over a large gap in the ice from one iceberg to another and waited for the others.

Once again, Lauralai sailed right over with out a second stop, clawing at the ice to make a quick stop on the other side and encouraged Toboe to follow.

Toboe looked down the trench the gapping split in the ice created all the way down to the black icy waters. He gulped intimidated by the height.

"Come on Runt" Hige called.

"I WAS GETTING READY TO!" Toboe bit back as he backed away determinedly from the gap to get a running start.

"Getting ready for what?" Hige looked to Heart and Tsume who just shook their heads.

Akira waited patiently as Toboe sprang to full speed and lunged with all his might across the gap. He used too much force however and was unable to stop himself from sliding as he landed and came to a crashing stop. All the wolves winced as they heard him running smack into something hard. Akira didn't miss a beat as she leaped over the gap and rushed over to the young wolf's side, Lauralai at her heels.

"Toboe?" she called.

"Toboe!" Lauralai gasped.

"I'm fine!" Toboe insisted, shooting back up to his feet. He plucked a dried up bone from his head, "A bird bone?" he looked around to see that he had crashed into a skeleton near the ice formation he ran into.

Hige plucked the bone from the young wolf to inspect it, "Hm… not a single sign of meat left on it" he sighed dejectedly as his stomach groaned.

"We'll find something in the town ahead. It shouldn't take too much longer" Kiba reassured knowingly.

"That means we need to get out of this icy hell quicker though." Tsume groused.

"And what ever consumed the meat off these bones doesn't look like something we'd wanna hang around." Heart said morbid as she looked around to spot larger bones of other animals not far off from the bird Toboe had slammed into.

"Then what are we doing here? Let's go!" Toboe shot forward once again.

Kiba looked back to Akira and changed his mind, "We can hold out a bit longer. This ice formation is sturdy and thicker than the rest. We should rest on it while we can. If one of us were to collapse while on the smaller unstable ones, we'd be done for."

"You're suggesting we spend the night here in this ice-land?" Tsume growled.

"There's plenty of bodies to snuggle up to." Heart objected him. Tsume rolled his eyes, "Don't tell me you're that afraid of sleeping on ice." She teased.

"Something just doesn't feel right here." Tsume insisted, looking around at the frozen ice drifts around the large iceberg they found.

"HEY!" Hige called, "TOBOE! COME BACK, WE'RE STAYING THE NIGHT HERE!"

"Really?!" Toboe called back, "Why?" he looked to where Kiba stood near the already napping red wolf and silently nodded his understanding, "She that tired?"

"Having your soul nearly stolen does that to you" Kiba said dryly as he looked down to Akira, "I don't think she's fully recovered from it yet."

"She does heal slower than usual" Hige reminded them.

"It shouldn't take but a night to get her strength back," Lauralai said optimistically, "There's not that much left of the sea. We'll easily cross it after tomorrow morning. By night fall, we'll reach Jagura's….Keep." she corrected herself.

"First good news in a while." Hige yawned. He cautiously made his way nearer to Akira, wary of Kiba incase the white wolf had a sting of possession towards another male getting too close to the female he had dubbed his. He carefully lay down at Akira's back in wolf form, curling up away from her, but leaned against her to share her warmth. Lauralai and Toboe followed, sleeping near Akira's tail while Heart and Tsume took up on the other side of Hige. Kiba settled himself next to Akira, resting his head on her own and closing his eyes. His ears ever alert for whatever danger may come to his pack while they rested in the icy wasteland of ice drifts.

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Kiba nudged Akira at his side to gently awaken her. He really hated to bring her out of her unconscious bliss of sleep, but they had to press on in the morning light. The others woke up easily enough, but Toboe hadn't slept well last night. He tried to stay up as long as he could to keep watch with Kiba. He had only fallen asleep an hour prior to when Kiba started rousing them awake again. The pup groaned annoyed when Hige nudged him to wake up. He rolled over to his other side to get away from Hige's prods.

"Come on, Runt, up and at 'em" Hige urged.

Toboe wasn't budging.

"He's such a pup" Tsume shook his head as Toboe groaned again and curled tighter when the rest of the pack besides he and Kiba tried to awaken the pup.

"I know something that'll get him up" Laura wagged her tail and trotted off to the water that peeked out of the ice in a small crack. She leaned down and filled her mouth with the icy water, stinging her sensitive teeth with the sudden change in temperature in her mouth. Full-cheeks of water, she smartly trotted back and squirted the ice water in her mouth at Toboe's face. That got him.

Toboe shot up in surprise. His eyes were wide awake from the sudden cold. He stood stock still on the ice, holding his breath. The others laughed at his shocked look.

"Well done, Laura" Heart patted the younger she-wolf's shoulder. Lauralai blushed and looked away when Toboe gawked at her.

"Now that we're all awake. We should get going" Kiba urged, "If we hurry, we'll have full bellies by lunch time in the next town."

"It's not that far, we can do it" Lauralai encouraged, following the white wolf's lead as he started off. The others simultaneously followed in the usual order with the pups and Akira at the back.

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Hub was locked in a cell at Jagura's keep. He had been separated from Cheza, but had seen her being taken to Jagura's personal wing of the Keep. He knew the noble was probably with her now and could only hope no harm came to such an innocent girl as Cheza. He had no ties to her, but Cher did, and he loved Cher, so he'd do anything in his power to ensure Cheza's safety. Even if it meant spending some alone time in a chilly cell in a noble's keep until he could find a way out of this.

'Besides, it's not all that bad. At least the soldiers leave you alone' he thought to himself looking at the concrete walls that surrounded him. He sneezed suddenly, "Now if only I didn't have such allergies." He groaned.

"Why does one who smells like you have allergies?" an old voice wisped to him. He could tell the female-rasped voice came from the cell next to him, but there was a concrete wall between them.

"My scent?" he sniffed at his arm, "You must mean Cheza."

"Che-za?"

"A Flower Maiden" he replied before thinking about it. Great, now they'd think he was locked up because he was a whack job!

"The flower?" the voice rang with hopeful recognition, "So it is true. Paradise is coming and is very real if she is here. Too bad it's a bit too late."

"What do you mean by that?" Hub asked cautiously.

The voice chuckled a bit in morbid fascination, "Don't fear. You're only human. They'll leave you well alone to rot in your cell. My kind were always hated by Jagura. She always sought us out,"

"What'd she do?" He was curious.

"Brought us here. We would wait day by day, wandering what would happen to us. And finally, the soldiers came and took us in ten's and then showed to the great hall of Jagura. There, we're massacred for her own pleasure of seeing us bleed." The voice was hallow, as if the pain had dulled and numbed over the morbid fact. He heard her sigh, "Such a lovely scent you have."

"Enough old one" a cold female voice commanded, "You speak of one who is traitorous and wicked"

"You would know everything there is to know about betrayal, wouldn't you, Diya. Hunting your own kind and following orders from a noble bitch-," Hub couldn't see, but he heard the anger and hate in both the feminine voices. The newer younger voice snarled and he heard the screech of a force hitting the bars of the next cell.

"I'd watch your tongue, hag, lest I tear it out!" the voice snapped.

"It would make sense that one of your blood would do something like this to the wolves." The old woman continued softer, "After all, in all the story books, the wolf is the demon and the _fox_ is the cunning trickster doing the devils bidding"

"ENOUGH!" the voice sounded slightly pained, "You blubbering fool! Do you have a death wish to insult me like this?"

"I'll die with in the next few days regardless. If I go down with a few wounds inflicted upon you, I will find peace in paradise."

"There is no such thing as paradise any longer." The younger voice, Diya, said softer.

"There will always remain a paradise, Diya. No matter what you say or that bitch." The elder woman snapped heatedly.

Diya seemed taken aback. A figure came with in his line of sight as she distanced herself from the elder woman's cell. She had stunning silvery hair that was as long as a nobles, her eyes a pale green color. She wore a semi-armored suit- much like Jagura had worn from the pictures Hub had seen in the military files back in FreeCity. She had a familiar chain and crucifix pendent about her neck…

"You wolves think that anything done to your kind is for shamed!" she snapped back. He could tell she was lashing out not only at the other woman caged in a cell, but something deep with in her, "Your breed aren't the only ones who have fallen to the nobles, many of us had to cross breed just to survive! You chose to fight the nobles, my ancestors chose to ally with them, but we never double crossed the wolves!"

"Then what are you doing now!"

"Nothing of my free will!"

"LIAR!" the woman accused, "WHAT could POSSIBLY be holding your heart against half your own blood? Against CHEZA!"

Hub watched perplexed as the anger in Diya drained away slowly as the enraged woman in the next cell seemed to await the answer. All three simultaneously turned their heads toward the door that screeched open at the far end.

"Diya" a soldier called.

Diya turned toward them and lowered her head submissively, even the soldiers in the keep were a higher rank than her, but she was untouchable to them. She was considered Jagura's favorite 'pet'.

"Lady Jagura commands your presence in her chambers."

Diya nodded mechanically as the soldiers left. She started to follow, but hesitated, looking back at the older woman.

"Wolves are very prideful creatures that have a sense of duty above all else and the will to survive. Do they not?" she asked rhetorically as she looked away from the older woman whom had taken up sneering at her, "A wolf once told me that no matter what race you are, pride means nothing if your family is in danger."

"So she threatened your family? Held them here somewhere? Well too bad, girl, they're more or less dead by now with that witches appetite for blood" the old woman said harshly.

Diya shook her head and started walking, "That's the beauty of it, they're still out there coming here."

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The wolves pressed onward across the ice. Kiba plodding strongly in the lead, keeping a quick pace for the others to follow. Hige was at his flank with Heart not far behind and Lauralai at her side. Tsume kept to his own pace, but remained close to the other four. Toboe had begun to lag behind a good distance. He tiredly ran a few dozen meters back from the rest, Akira stayed near him dutifully so he wasn't alone and separated completely as she gently urged him onward. She noticed that he was nearing exhaustion, but he refused her offer to stop the others for him. He refused her mercy and continued to press onward. She was starting to worry.

Yet another gap in the ice came up. This one was so wide that they'd have to jump from small ice flat to small ice flat like rocks across a stream. Except these were no sturdy rocks, but slippery floating ice. The first five wolves followed Kiba's easy lead as he leapt gracefully from one flat to the next, barely disturbing the ice cold water beneath the flats. They turned and waited when each reached the other side no problem and waited Akira and Toboe. Lauralai whimpered guiltily when she realized how far back they had become. She felt like she should have stayed at Toboe's side, but she was so focused on staving off the cold and reaching the other side of the ice drifts that she didn't realize Toboe had slowed down from the others.

"Oi! Runt, you're draggin behind again!" Hige called out.

"I know, I-KNOW!" Toboe rasped irritated.

Hige took a sniff and baulked, "HEY! WHICH ONE OF YOU IS WOUNDED?" he called just as Akira and Toboe reached the bank of the gap the others had just crossed. Both looked to one another confused.

"Wounded?" Akira noticed the small wound on Toboe's left arm, "Toboe!" she gasped.

Toboe quickly covered the wound, "It's just a scratch, I'll be fine!" he insisted.

"Stop being so childish!" Akira admonished, "A wound is a wound and you should treat it like one! Let me look at that"

"NO!" Toboe pulled away childish.

"At least let her look at it when you get over here." Heart insisted.

Toboe groaned in defeat. Just what he wanted- another reason to be called a Child. Hige wasn't going to let him live this one down either since he was holding the rest of them up again.

"Let's just get this over with" he brushed off 'Maturely' and shakily leapt over to the first flat off the shore. He didn't land evenly and it wobbled the ice under him. He yelped, trying to ease the wobbling by spreading out his limbs all over it as best he could.

"Careful!" Heart called.

"Don't rush, Toboe" Akira said from behind him. He could hear her worry in her voice.

"I'm fine" he insisted a bit softer than before to placate her. He wasn't angry at her.

He leapt to another one and Akira hopped across to the one he was just on. For every leap he made, she hopped on to the flat he left. They reached a more solid ice burg in the middle just as Toboe lost his footing on its slanted surface. Akira quickly caught his arm before he touched the water, but a few drops of his blood dripped into the water below.

A chill ran up Akira's spine. She felt a deep tremor in the ice beneath her and a low rumble coming from the water. Her instincts roared at her to get to solid ground, but she wouldn't leave Toboe as he scrambled up the small, but slippery slope the iceberg had. She pulled him up from the water just as something very large and very powerful shout out of the water like a dolphin leaping up out of it. The beast roared as it flung its self to the side toward the small iceberg looking feeble in comparison to its massive size. Its sheer weight crushed the ice and sent the two startled wolves sputtering in the icy depths. Akira felt dizzy for a moment before she realized she was unbelievably cold and couldn't breathe. She noticed Toboe out of it not far off in the water next to her and swam for him to drag him to the surface she felt the current of the massive body that crushed the iceberg slam back into the water a little ways off. She panicked as she fought her and Toboe's way to the surface. Once she breached it, both she and Toboe gasped for air.

"GET OUT OF THE WATER!" Kiba barked. His blue eyes held an uncharacteristic fear and he was being held back from jumping in after Akira by Hige while Tsume rushed to get as close as possible to the two near-drowned wolves while still being safe on solid ice.

Akira nudged the sputtering Toboe toward Tsume so he'd get the hint. They were cut off from the massive beast from below as it cut in front of them and started to stalk them predatorily.

"Go back and get on any piece of ice you can find!" Akira shouted at Toboe.

"What about you?" Toboe yelped.

"I can swim," Akira shouted back.

A dark shadow from under the water began to gather around her and Toboe. All hair on Akira stood tall in alarm. Her orange eyes darted to Toboe- he was in the middle, the area the head- aka- the teeth- were!

"TOBOE, GET OUT OF HERE!" she screamed using all her strength she could muster as a wolf and gabbed the collar of Toboe's shirt, pitching him as hard as she could out of the water. Surprisingly, the young wolf sailed through the air and landed ungracefully in a heap on a sturdy ice flat a safe distance from immediate danger, groaning from the impact to the hard, cold biting ice.

"AKIRA!" Kiba cried out as the massive beast once again breached the surface, shooting its mammoth body into the air. He was able to get a good look at it as it flung Akira out of the water like a dolphin would with it's play toy, but this was no dolphin. It was a mammoth sized walrus! Its body covered in scares and wrinkles of fat all over its tough hide spoke of how many ageing years it must have spent surviving these unforgiving icy drifts.

Kiba's heart nearly stopped when he saw his beloved flying in the air above the massive walrus's head, just shy of getting too close to it's jaws that were 3 times the size of her- he had no doubt that this animal would swallow any of them whole if it had the chance and right now it had it's sights set on Akira!

Akira screamed as she got a close up view of the massive whiskery muzzle of the walrus and its larger-than-life and sharper-than-knife tusks. Her boot clad feet kicked out as she felt gravity pull her towards the offending jaws that snapped at her like a hungry shark below it's dangled treats. Her steel toe of the boots rammed right under its sensitive nose causing the beast to convulse instinctively. It lost its balance and rammed unexpectedly into the icy sea and once again hid in the dark depths. Akira plopped in the water after it. A mere pebble compared to the boulder that just splashed back in.

The others waited with baited breath for her to resurface. She burst to the surface with a lung-hearty gasp for air just off the ice where Toboe shivered in shock and cold at what was happening. The young wolf scrambled to reach her and help drag her out of the freezing water.

"We have to get to the others. It's trying to cut us off from the rest." Akira said.

"How?" Toboe whimpered as his teeth clattered. His honey gold eyes shifting nervously about the dark depths of the water, "It's faster than us in the water."

Hige peered left and right, trying to find a better cross way. A few meters down to the right, the ice lifted high of the water and had a small ice formation that had fallen from the rest laying between the two like a tree-fallen bridge.

"There!" he called pointing, "It can't reach you up there from the water!"

"Are you sure?" Laura whimpered.

"Better than trying to swim" Tsume replied, following Kiba who had bolted at the sight of the bridge. He was anxious to get Akira back to his side and to safety!

"This way, Akira! Over here!" Kiba called when he reached it, "Cross the ice!"

Akira and Toboe quickly followed, noticing the dark shadow of the walrus under the water following them, trying to judge what they were doing.

"Hurry, Toboe," Akira urged for good measure.

When they reached the ice 'bridge' they stared dauntingly at it. It was very…. Very skinny for a bridge.

"You've got to be kidding me" Toboe nearly squeaked with wide eyes.

"Just GO!" Akira nudged him forward to the bridge. Toboe slowly walked out on to it.

The walrus underneath seemed to catch on. It leaped into the air out of the water and snapped its massive jaws upward toward the bridge a few feet out of reach. Toboe could feel the air currents of its hot breath on his skin as it ruffled his hair. He cried out in fear and started to wobble.

"Don't look down!" Akira demanded him from behind him. He felt her warm hand on his shoulder and it calmed him somewhat. He realizes later how amazed he truly was at her focus. She didn't seem to be that fearful young she-wolf they had met before. She was being very brave and bold while they tried to escape the jaws of a walrus. It sounds silly to be running away from such a bumbily creature, but this particular one called for such a thing. Especially when it was trying to consume you with jaws 3 or 4 times your size in either human or wolf forms!

With her behind him all the way for swiftness and support, Toboe slowly made his way across the bridge. She let go of him so they could put some distance and spread out their initial weight a bit when they reached the middle so they didn't strain the ice bridge too much. Toboe nearly ran the rest of the way when the Walrus had snapped at him a third time and the tip of its muzzle lightly nudged the underside of the bridge. Once safely across, he turned around to see how Akira was doing. She had frozen in place about three fourths through. Her wide orange eyes glued to the predatory hungry in the blood shot black of the walrus as it leered up at her. She was getting goose bumps all over and her breathing started to come up short. Her heart pounded and palms felt clammy. Her left side of her body started to feel heavy and tingled a bit while her knees started to feel weaker and weaker….

Kiba's blue eyes widened – she was having a panic attack in the middle of the bridge! He started forward but Tsume held him back, "It's attacking the underside of the bridge to weaken the ice. If you go out now, you're both on the menu."

"She's in a panic attack!" Kiba snapped back at him.

"Try and snap her out of it" Hige suggested. His own voice laced with panic as well.

"She can't even hear the pups screaming at her or Heart's cries for her" Tsume pointed out.

Kiba had to try anyways. He stepped as close as he could to the bridge and called out loud enough for her to hear, but gentle enough that he knew she'd hear him, "Akira,"

Her orange eyes widened, but the pupils were still dilated in panic.

"Akira, it's me, Kiba, follow my voice as carefully as you can" he spoke soothingly, "follow my voice and please don't look down. Don't put any of your weight any where except for the solid ice you know you walk on."

Step by agonizing step, Akira slowly made her way across the ice bridge, still in a panicked state that she was barely recovering from. The only reason she was able to move is because somewhere deep inside her she knew she had to or she'd die. Adrenaline was what saved her this time as its chemical substance flowed through her nervous-stricken veins and putting a hold on the panic attack effects until she was to a safer ground. She followed the soothing sound of Kiba's deep voice as he led her closer to him. He could almost touch her when the unthinkable happened….

With a final thrust out of the water, the massive mammoth of a walrus surged out of the water and used it's full size to smash through the ice of the feeble bridge so high up, shattering it instantly. Akira could see the horror on Kiba's face as she slowly came out of her panic-driven haze. His beautiful blue eyes wide with fear and his normally pale skin was papery white. She felt the ice shatter right out from under her and looked up at Kiba in disbelief as she started to fall.

"Kiba?" she called.

"AKIRA!!"


	22. Chapter 21 Animal Inside

Chapter 21 Animal inside

A/N- Update time, UPDATE TIME!

Thanks to all the reviews!

Acknowledgements:

Blackwidow, WildKat, Furyguy, Venom, RedFang, Vixie, Aquamarine, froggy4543, freddbing323, ScarsOfRemorse, fannyone325, tigerjaw, EmilyRuby, Wildcreature (Is that all that reviewed chap 20?)

Responces-

Shadow- sure, I'll try your email but…. I don't know ur email….?? Help!

Don't forget-

Don't own- and – Plz review again yeah!

Now onward!

Chapter 21 Animal inside

"There she is, Diya" Jagura said sensually as the red part wolf approached her mistress's side. Her chain and pendent lightly clicking in a metallic sound as she walked in her human form to the woman's side, keeping her head down cast, unwilling to see Cheza chained again, "Isn't she wonderful? The girl who will help bring my paradise to light with the blood of wolves painted on the temples doorways."

Diya didn't speak.

Cheza's red eyes were closed as she was held chained inside the liquid nutrient chamber. The large orb that Diya had seen Cheza in similarly before in FreeCity before she abandoned Sasuke and the wretched humans. She would rather see the flower back there then here.

Jagura's frown filled her smile, "Why does she not smile? Why does she sleep in my presence?"

"She appears to be trying to hibernate, your grace" a scientist, monitoring Cheza's mood levels spoke up, "She appears to be rebelling as much as she can,"

"Rebelling?" Jagura smirked slowly, drawing a hidden dagger from her cleavage, "Diya, come here"

Diya had always had a fear of blood. Especially her own. Her wide green eyes looked up as if to beg Jagura not to, but the noble held out a crooked finger and beckoned the part wolf closer. The wolf was helpless to obey. Obediently turning to her wolf form and bowing her head to her mistress, holding back a fearful whimper as her body started to shiver in fear.

"The flower reacts to the spilt blood of a wolf." The noble licked the edge of the blade that still held the taste of the many wolves blood that it had cut through before this one. The blade was even permanently stained a coppery red from the blood it had tasted, "Unfortunately, we're low on eligible wolf blood at the moment. A small cut from our friend should suffice."

Cheza's eyes opened and her head snapped up in the tank. Her red, unseeing eyes locked on the shivering form of Diya and the glint of the red-bladed knife in Jagura's hand. Jagura brought her blade swiftly down and let it bite into the wolf's side in a long strike. The woman reveled in the scream the wolf tried to strange as blood was drawn. Cheza's own scream drowned out the wolf's painful howl as she arched her back and cried out in her ear-splitting cry that all wolves could hear from even a far distance. From such a close proximity, the humans in the lab had to cover their ears. Lady Jagura merely stood and stared down the flower with a grin on her red-painted lips. She brought the dagger up to her lips and flicked the fresh blood off the sharp blade with her tongue as if it were delicious chocolate.

"Lady Jagura…" one of her servants begged, "The flower, we can't take much more of this, she'll turn us all mad!"

Jagura turned to her servant coldly, but decided to give them somewhat relief, since there was still much to do to prepare for her other guests that were to arrive before the opening of her ultimate paradise- the Nobles Paradise of Jagura.

She bent on one knee to the withering form of Diya and held a hand over the wound, "With thy purity of thy soul, I cleanse thee of thou suffering and pain" she spoke in a haunted voice. Dark, Alchemic symbols formed over the wound before it sealed itself and took away the pain. Diya could still feel the ache since it was alchemy the woman used on her.

Jagura pulled the wolf up to standing, stroking the softened red fur as if to calm herself. Diya could hardly take the pained cry Cheza screamed out from the feel of wolf blood and the pain Diya had felt so close to her. Her ears folded to her head to try and block it to no avail.

"Sing, my Diya" Jagura whispered to the wolf, "Sing and calm my flower to sleep once more."

With out thinking, Diya transformed and began to sing the lullaby.

_Spring time_

_Allo you call_

_And I'm to bring _

_The offer_

_When thou comes_

_Thou shall be calm_

_Spring time _

_Allo you call_

_And I'm to sing_

_Thy hearts song_

_The time comes_

_Thou shall be calm_

_On Wings they fly _

_The earth doth shine_

_And I'm to bring _

_The offer_

_A hearts song_

_My soul shall long_

_And I'm to sing_

_Thou shall be calm_

About half way through the small lullaby, Cheza's red eyes lowered. Her screams of terror and pain ceased as she fell to sleep. Diya continued to sing. Her voice carried on the lullaby with out the lyrics this time.

_La, la, la, __**la, La, la, **__la, la—La, la, la- la, la……_

The middle aged wolf bowed her head as she hummed for a while and then looked through the window to see that the sun would be rising soon. Her alto voice began to whisper the sacred verses of her heritage that were designed to be sung to a flower of paradise like Cheza.

_Spring time,_

_My heart will shine_

_And to your paradise_

_May we come_

_And there I shall sing_

_Thou shall be calm…_

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Jaspers green and blue eyes lit up as the sun peaked over the snowy hills and through the cracks of the resting truck. They had stopped sometime back in the night to rest the drivers and the let the jarred passengers out to stretch while the weather wasn't pounding on them. His ears could detect something painful- a scream. But just as he winced away, a new, soothing sound came.

_Spring time,_

_Allo you call…_

His eyes widened as he remembered that voice. He softened his gaze, sighing with content as he found himself humming the tune softly before whispering the words as well with his mothers' voice he knew was singing the song.

"_And I'm to sing, Thy hearts song, The time comes, Thou shall be calm_"

Quent watched the wolf-boy next to him, he seemed very calm and happy just now. The sandy blond had started to hum and even whispered in a calm, soothing sing-song voice the lyrics of a song Quent had never heard before, but the melody sounded so sad. It captivated the old man as well as the others who were awake in the bed of the truck to listen as the young man's voice grew a bit stronger….

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Kiba's hand grasped Akira's wrist tightly as he held her fast while the bridge and the raged walrus splashed to the water below. The bridge had fallen after the walrus, making it potentially dangerous for the massive beast to linger. It seemed to swim off for now, But Kiba knew they needed to hurry up and get out of here while they still could. Akira's wet, slippery cold skin shivered underneath his firm, desperate hold as the others quickly moved to help Kiba pull her up.

"Just hang in there a bit longer!" he strained out as he and the others helped her over the cliff.

Soon as she was back to safety, Kiba gathered her into his arms and held her close, "No more swimming for you in oceans!" 

"Don't have to worry about that happening again" Akira coughed with an attempted smile and joke.

The ice beneath them trembled. Tsume peered over the ledge to see the walrus was ramming at a weak point to the large block of an ice cliff they were on. It was trying to take them all down now.

"MOVE!" he shoved the others to action, "He's taken this damn thing into the ocean!"

"Is there any way to avoid him?" Hige called out as they all started to run for it, Kiba holding Akira in his arms.

"No, He can attack us anywhere if he can take down this part of the ice, it's the thickest and if he can break it…" Laura gulped.

"We're screwed." Heart summed up.

"We'll spread out." Kiba said, still holding Akira in his arms.

She held a hand to his arm to catch his attention, "Kiba, put me down, I can run on my own, there's no need to carry me."

He was about to protest, but the look in her orange eyes asked that he wouldn't argue with her and so he did not. He slowed just as he reached the base of the hill of the thick ice they were on and set her down. She wobbled as yet another slammed tremor shook the ice from the beast that pursued them. Giving her a once over, Kiba dashed out to the thinner ice, followed from a distance by the others.

Lauralai was livid. She was too afraid to run at a distance from everyone else and kept herself plastered to Toboe's side while they ran at the rear, unable to run as fast as the others. Toboe tried to exude as much courage for her as he could, but even he was horrified from the awesome tremors that shook beneath them. Oddly, the tremors had stopped, but the frightened wolves didn't stutter in their escape across the thin ice.

Lauralai stole a glace over her shoulder to the open ice they had just crossed fading behind them in the distance. She didn't see any sign of the walrus anywhere and started to feel herself relax a bit more. She yelped when she stumbled on her own feet and tumbled to the ice below her, sliding to a stop. Toboe slid on the sleek ice to stop next to her and help her up when another tremor, much closer than before froze both young wolves. It was all they could do but stare in fear when the mammoth of a walrus burst through the ice behind them not 15 feet away from where Lauralai still lay from her fumble. The ancient, blubbery beast looked at them with its one good red eye, the other was scarred shut from a past battle. Its tusks that were surely once white ivory were now a sickening off-beige color with cracks and cuts lining them. It reared its ugly head when it saw them and bawled out a battle cry.

The other wolves were on it before it could make its way to the younger two who had yet to move. Tsume leaped first onto the animals hide. His claws digging into the tough skin that barely left a scratch. Hige's fangs tried to bite into the usually softer skin just below the head, but even there it was like he was trying to bite a tractor tire! It wouldn't give! Heart and Kiba danced around the wild beast, trying to confuse it and lead the walrus away from the younger wolves that were now being stood over by Akira's growling form. The beast took one look at the red furred female that had so narrowly escaped its grasps and seemed to gather a lock on her. Its massive flippers shoved Tsume and Hige off its back and it ran off Heart and Kiba from its way, even though all four wolves put up a fight to keep it off path, it was having none of it.

Akira bent low to the youths under her so they could hear her over the bawls the mad creature screamed at them in its rage, "Follow my lead and run when I do" she whispered.

Lauralai's eyes were wide in fear, but she seemed to get the message. When the red wolf bolted for the cover of a near by ice formation that stuck out from the rest, the smaller sliver-black albino wolf dashed off at her heels, but Toboe stood where he was still in shock. The walrus paid him no mind and followed the moving prey, sensing that these two were probably the weakest of the rest.

Akira's claws dug rabidly at the small overhang the ice formation created at its base, trying to dig it out as a burrow like her instincts passed down in her part-fox linage demanded her to do to escape. She didn't get very deep by the time she felt the large shadow of the beast upon her back and she shoved Laura inside the small burrow, covering it with her own body and bristling her fur as she bore her fangs at the beast. It lowered its muzzle to try and gab at her with its teeth, but its large head couldn't even fit in the small hole she was at the door of. Her small paw darted out from beneath her instinctively and she clawed the nose of the beast with a bark of warning.

The walrus reared back in surprise and cried out at the sharp pain the small claws dealt to its sensitive nostrils. Enraged, it banged itself against the small, sturdy ice formation to try and bring it down on top of the two cowering wolves.

Heart snarled as she leapt onto the walrus's back and clawed at the skin behind its head. Hige and Tsume simultaneously attacked it from different directions as well, distracting it from its goal. It shoved them off momentarily like before and returned, determinedly, to its previous task at getting to Akira in her hole only to find a bristled white wolf in its way of the hole. Kiba had covered Akira and the hole she had dug at the base with his larger body, shielding her. The walrus brought its head down, aiming well with its tusks that could now reach something since this wolf wasn't protected by the small overhang. Kiba barely had time to react and grab hold of the tusk to prevent it from piercing straight through him in the chest, he wasn't able to prevent it from piercing his thigh and screamed in pain, still trying to hold off the large animals tusk from going all the way through and severing his leg!

"KIBA!" Akira cried from behind him when she smelt blood and heard his cry. She couldn't see anything since his back blocked the hole, but anyone could tell something happened and was still happening to him.

The other wolves doubled their effort to take down the beast, this time, to get it off Kiba. Still, the animal batted them away like flies with its fins, sinking its mammoth tusk into Kiba's tender flesh.

Lauralai's screams of terror were no longer even being tried to hold back. She was horrified by just the sounds and smells. She could feel the monster outside moving its massive weight as the ice gave way to its weight and leaned ever so slightly to it. She curled to herself and Akira from inside the small hole that was starting to get a cracked roof. She knew that it was only a matter of time before either the monster found its way to her or the ice formation would cave-in on her.

Toboe couldn't move. His eyes were taking in every thing, but they weren't even truly seeing- it just didn't feel real. For a long time he couldn't even hear anything, but a muffled scream. As that scream continued, it became clearer and clearer.

"KIBA!" he could hear Akira cry out.

He heard the snarls from Heart and the other wolves and the pained sneers that Kiba snarled at the walrus that held him subdued. But most of all, he could hear a young girl's piercing wail of terror.

"Laura?" his vision became clearer and he could see what was going on at the ice formation in front of him. One thing bothered him though, "Laura??" he could hear her, but couldn't see her. She sounded like she was yelling from under Kiba…. His honey eyes widened and his pupils dilated.

She was in danger…

Akira was in danger.

Kiba was about to be killed.

His friends were fighting to save them.

And it was all that beasts fault.

His hands gripped into shaking fists at his side. He could feel his blood surge through him and feel the feral growl grow in a multitude of volume in his chest. His canine's lengthened and sharpened even in his human form while the claws sharpened like a demon from hell- something that had never happened to him while still in human form. He looked straight at the beast and caught its eye with his own feral bright honey brown and he snapped. He sprang into action releasing a howl of rage.

The walrus didn't know what hit him. One minute he was slowly sinking his tusk into a pathetic white wolf, then he was reared back in surprise when small, but deadly sharp fangs clamped over his good eye, nearly dislodging it. The beast reared in surprise and pain, shaking off the other wolves, but this one held fast. The walrus flailed around, trying to escape the painful clutches of the fangs around his eye and the snare of the sharp claws that bit into the sensitive skin around the eye. He banged himself against the ice under him and it cracked. He slammed again, only to have it give way under him and both tumbled under the sea beneath. A few of the wolves he had shoved off him were also caught up in the cracking of the ice and tumbled into the water.

Kiba, Akira and Lauralai were spared. The white wolf favored his hind left leg as he stood up from where the walrus had pinned him with its tusks and looked to Akira behind him. She wiggled out of the hole and started to coax the still panicked Laura out. She motioned for him to go after the others.

Kiba looked over the edge to the icy water, relieved to see Hige, Tsume and lastly Heart resurface, gasping for air, but otherwise, unharmed.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked out of breath.

Hige lifted himself out of the water quickly, and then turned to help Heart out of the water while Tsume helped her get to the shore. She was sputtering up the water she had accidentally swallowed.

"We're fine" Tsume replied, "Spooked- but fine"

"Where's Toboe?" Hige looked around frantically, "He went all crazy!"

The walrus breached the surface, ramming itself against the ice and body-slamming itself back into the cold water over and over again. Toboe still held fast for the bumpy ride while the walrus did more damage to itself than he. The sharp points of ice speared into the walruses' flesh, creating new deep wounds that slowed it down. It fell back into the water and didn't resurface for a while.

The wolves stood in baited silence, waiting for something to happen. Akira was knelt near Lauralai's trembling form, still at the mouth of the small burrow the she-wolf had made in the small amount of time she could. She had coaxed Laura out of the burrow, but the young she-wolf was still terrified. Especially since now Toboe had gone missing. The other wolves waited by the ice-edge. Hoping the young wolf would drift to the surface and they'd drag him out.

After awhile, Hige got worried, "Come' on Toboe… fight it" he whispered. Silence was his answer. The wolf gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, "Toboe, come' on," still more silence.

"He can't hold his breath much longer…" Heart said morbidly.

"This sucks… this really _sucks_!" Hige felt like he could almost cry!

The ice behind them cracked and out busted the walrus, exhausted and pierced with hundreds of ice-spear shards along his body. He slumped out of the water and barely was able to give a final, feeble swat at Toboe. The young wolf swiftly let go and leapt off his prey, landing in front of where Lauralai was huddled to Akira. The young she wolfs watched speechless.

Toboe stood in his wolf form, tail high and head lowered. His ears pinned back and feet spread wide, ready to burst into action once again should the walrus ask for more. The walrus glared down at the young wolf, snarling weakly and taking a step toward him. Toboe lifted his head slightly and licked his chops as he snarled, bearing his sharp, white teeth, the fur on his back and neck bristled to a point.

The walrus panted for breath, then fell with a weak sigh, unable to hold itself up any longer. Sensing that he had won, Toboe immediately loosened up. His hid legs gave away under him and he sat on his haunches, panting for breath while the rest of the pack rushed forward to greet and congratulated him.

"What happened to you out there?" Heart ruffled the kid's hair once he reverted to human form to lay on his back, exhausted.

Hige leaned over the laying-down kid from where he and the others stood over him, "Yeah, you went crazy like a rabid dog or something!"

Toboe thought about it for a moment, holding his breath, then sighed exhaustedly, "I… I don't know" he admitted, sitting up and rubbing his head, "Every thing just happened and I just… I heard Laura scream and I just… snapped I guess" he admitted.

"So you did it to save Lauralai, did you?" Hige grinned slyly as he looked from one young wolf to the other, enjoying teasing them a bit.

Lauralai hid her face behind Akira's back while Toboe looked away with a stubborn blush marring his cheeks and the bridge of his nose.

Akira stopped Hige before he could continue poking fun at the younger wolves, "We were all scared, Hige, that's just what he remembered easier,"

"I'll bet" Heart snickered. She looked over at the now motionless mammoth of a kill, "Toboe has become quite the hunter. I never even dreamed of taking down such an animal for my first kill"

"Beats a rabbit any day" Hige grinned. His stomach growled, egging him on to approach the fresh meat and quench his hunger.

Kiba stopped him, looking Hige in the eye. They shared a silent understanding and Hige stepped back respectfully.

"He's your kill," Kiba said to Toboe, "You eat first"

Toboe's eyes widened in surprise. He felt like he was frozen again. Lauralai found the courage to step out from behind Akira and quietly bent down to Toboe's side, her hand resting on his shoulder. He looked up at her curiously.

"Go on, you deserve it" she said encouragingly.

Toboe smiled up at her and took her offered hand to help him up. Both transformed into wolf form. Toboe took a moment to take in the prideful feeling that washed over him as he took a step toward his first kill that would feed his pack mates. He paused to turn to Lauralai and motioned for her to follow him- he wanted to share the moment with her.

The two younger wolves approached the kill. Lauralai waited patiently for Toboe to rip off the first bite. He held it up to her proudly between his teeth and she bashfully took it from him and ate. Then both ducked their heads to feed themselves while the rest of the pack approached to join them.

Akira lifted her head and squinted her eyes as the newly rising sun peaked through the cloudy sky in the horizon. The ice plain didn't let her realize that the night had wasted away while they had fought for their lives against this creature. She thought it was day, but she guessed that time flied when you were fighting for survival. Or maybe it was just the difference in polar-days that threw her perception off….

She bent her head to continue gorging herself with the hot red meat when her ears perked as a duet of two voices came to her. She knew she wasn't physically hearing them, it felt more like a memory than actually happening, but it startled her none-the-less.

_On Wings they fly _

_The earth doth shine_

_And I'm to bring _

_The offer_

_A hearts song_

_My soul shall long_

_And I'm to sing_

_Thou shall be calm_

An alto feminine voice and a tenor masculine voice entwined in the duet she heard of a song she had long forgotten. She stared at nothing as the melody played silently to her ears alone. The rest of the pack took no notice as they ripped hungrily into the meat the walrus had to offer. Her stomachs protests forgotten, she hummed in tune with the song despite hardly knowing it. It felt familiar still…

"_Spring time, My heart will shin. And to your paradise, May we come. And there I shall sing, Thou shall be calm…_" She whispered aloud.

It was then that she noticed Kiba had stopped eating at her side. His golden wolf eyes watching her intently with the intensity that he was known for in those sharp eyes of his. Akira was sure she would blush under his gaze if she were in human form.

"What was that?" he asked.

"What was what?" she replied stupidly.

"You were whispering something while just staring off… is something wrong?" he tilted his head curiously.

"No, everything's fine" she reassured him, bending her head to continue eating at a slower pace than before.

"What about the song. Those lyrics… where did you hear those?" he asked, bending his own neck so he was eye level with her.

Akira paused in mid-chew and swallowed uncomfortably with his gaze so intense on her. The others looked up from their meal curiously as they over heard Kiba's question.

"A … lullaby I once heard in the past." She answered softly, looking around shyly then ducking back to her meal.

The others exchanged curious looks, but seemed to shrug it off for another time when they weren't tempted with such a delicious meal in front of them.

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Lady Jagura lounged in her study peacefully looking over her many dark-ancient text books. They foretold of the wolves paradise and her ancestors desire to harness it just like she had harnessed the noble's lost city and now the world. Orchems lands had fallen and Darcia was no where to be seen. The world was claimed in the name of Jagura and it was only the opening act to what she was longing to become. Now she was queen of a diluted and tainted world that was dieing. Soon as she had the blood of the red moon and the favor of the full moon, she'd have the title as queen of her very own paradise. A place flowing with milk and honey where she and her true love, lord Darcia will rein for ever more and forget all about this wolf none-sense and the dieing world they once belonged.

She turned the page to see the illustration that was becoming her novelty- it had three phases of the moon drawn out in charcoal colors that were almost worn with age. It was hard to tell, but Jagura knew that the three drawings represented the phase of the new moon, the full moon, and the red moon. She translated the ancient text aloud to hear it once more.

"When earth cries out in pain of its near death and the moon shall burn red in its reflection, it is given a choice to give its beating heart to the light of the full or the darkness of the new. It is then that paradise will be opened as the heart of the red moon beats for its chosen path and the flower will call upon the gates of paradise" she read aloud, sighing in contentment.

Her peace was disturbed when the glass of her window was being rattled on. She set her book aside and looked up, her armor mask hiding the way her violet eyes narrowed in annoyance, yet softened as she noticed what the cause of concern was. A black bird nibbled its beak urgently against the pane of the grand window to her study. It flapped its wings and cawed out in excitement.

The woman stood, ignoring the way her companion, Diya, fought not to shrink away in disgust of such a creature so near as she opened the window and let the bird swoop in and land on her offered hand. She offered the bird a sliver of her dinner meat which it gobbled enthusiastically while she strokes the raven's black shimmering feathers.

"Tell me, my pet," she said softly, catching the birds' attention, "What did you see?"

Diya's fur stood on end when she felt the dark arts of alchemy rise up between woman and bird as the bird relayed all that it had seen on its flight from FreeCity. Jagura smiled when she saw the keep and dome of FreeCity tumble to the ground in flames before her men and then saw the landscape rush beneath her as she followed the birds' path of memory of the flight. He had flown over the ice drifts not far from here and she spotted a red dot. The bird had flown down lower and noticed that the red dot wasn't alone. Six others were with it- all of whom were wolves. Something shinned in the light of the feeble sun in the artic sky caught the birds' eye-

A chain pendent.

Jagura released the birds' mind and looked back to Diya and scrutinized the wolf carefully. She smiled as the same pendant was also about the fox-decent wolf.

"She is coming, my dear Diya. She is bringing me my salvation with a bow and all to wrap it with" the woman was nearly giddy with how easy this had turned out. She had the flower; knew Darcia would no doubt come after her; knows that not only are the last wolves swarming to her like flies to a spiders trap, but with them they were bringing the chosen one that had favor of the flower and the wolf that symbolized the red moon's heart.

She lifted her hand for the bird to fly, "Go and fly, my pet" she called to it.

The raven cawed back at her as it flapped its skimpy wings and flew off from the keep to circle the dome.

She turned to the red wolf of fox decent, "As for you, patrol the city."

"My lady?" Diya felt dread in her heart and begged for this not to be true. She had already betrayed all she loved, she begged silently that Jagura wouldn't force her to hand her daughter over to Jagura's claws personally.

"They will be in the city any day now. Find the red one and be sure that the chosen one also comes to the keep. Be sure they make it here" Jagura demanded.

"Lady Jagura" Diya pleaded, trying not to cry.

Jagura approached the woman who knelt where the red wolf once sat. The silver-blond hair fell over the girls face, hiding the green eyes of the wolf. Jagura held Diya's chin in the palm of her hand and brought her head up to face the noble woman, "You will do as I say" she said softly with and edge that made Diya tremble, "Do as I say and bring me your daughter"

Diya made the mistake to whimper reflexively at the thought of handing over her own flesh and blood. Akira was her one true pup she had ever given birth to. Jasper was an adopted son from their old pack, but Akira was the only thing she had left of Sasuke.

She gasped in pain as Jagura back handed her across the face, tossing her back to the floor beneath the noble woman she had defied ever so slightly with out answering.

"Do I make myself clear, wolf?" she demanded in a stronger tone, calming as she saw the shiver go through the girl that dared not move from where she was thrown. She bent on one knee and grabbed a fist full of the silvery tresses of the woman she had enslaved, "Or is it not even that, my dear Diya? You're worse than a part dog bitch aren't you? you have more fox in you than anything and how becoming it really has taken to you." she whispered in the ear, "After all, loyalty to humans is for dogs, loyalty to their own is for wolves and no loyalty at all is for the cunning fox. Isn't that right?"

Diya forced herself to nod.

"No go and bring me my wolves." She said, releasing her hair to let the girl fall.

"Yes my lady Jagura" Diya said. She reverted to her wolf form, staying there for a moment laying on her side. She then slowly got her four legs under her and pushed herself to stand and walked sorely out of the study and down the halls. The men and women occupying the halls took no notice of the wolf with the crucifix pendent. It marked her as Jagura's pet and even the infamous wolf hunters didn't bother her. She was invisible and immune to all in the false city once called the lost city of the nobles.


	23. Chapter 22 Unavoidable Dome

Chapter 22 Unavoidable Dome

A/N- O.M.G! I'm 2 reviews from breaking 100!! IEAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!

I-LUV-U-ALL!!

Acknowledgements: Thank you-

froggy4543, HottyKat, Prettykitty67, freddbing323, Blackwidow, Shadow, little shadow, Wildcreature, Furyguy, WildKat, Aquamarine, TSUKINOHARU, EmilyRuby, tigerjaw, RedFang, Scaresofremorse, fannyone325, Vixie, Emeraldragon, Venom, Amber, Zannydeleoparddemon,……… Any one else?? (holy shoot that's a lot!)

General respose to reviews

OMG!! THANKS GUYS! Keep it up!

Also, about the whole passion dieing out thing between Kiba and Akira….

(Sweat drop) eh he, he, My bad guys. I was going through a rough time these past few months and didn't realize that reflected in even THEIR relationship. I'll remedy that. No worries.

The issue on Lemons-

We'll have to do a vote here.

If you want a lemon, say so in the review. I have a spot open to put a nice juicy one near the end (which is coming up quick) and if that offends you, tell me as well and I'll post explictant warnings (I'll probably do that anyways)

Further more- enjoy and review! huggles

Chapter 22 Unavoidable Dome

Jasper shook the snow loose from his jacket when he and Quent entered the covered area where many of the passengers from many different convoys were gathering. It seemed that they'd have to go through a check-in procedure in order to get inside the dome- no telling what it took to get into the keep.

"At least it's a bit warmer in here." Jasper muttered as he stood next to his newest companion.

Quent snorted at the kid's optimism, "Look at you- it's a blizzard outside and you're decked in ripped blue jeans, a sleeveless shirt, your shoes and that chain around your neck." The edges of Quents' lips jerked up in a half smile despite himself, "I'm still wandering where you got that long winter coat."

Jasper smiled back, "I merely found it on the floor of the truck where that crazy guy had sat before he fell out of the back end of the truck. Since he won't be needing it…" Jasper snapped the collar of the mid-thigh length jacket, "I'll hold on to it"

"Too bad you didn't technically steal it" Quent smirked, "Then I'd have reason to shoot you down."

"Ah, but my good old man-friend" Jasper said slyly, "Why would you do that? I appear to be but a harmless human boy"

"The word you're using 'Appear-to-be' is the problem with that, wolf-boy" Quent was still a bit raw from their current situation, but truth be told, he didn't much mind the boys company other than the fact he was actually a wolf.

The two of them silently observed their surroundings in an old habit each of them had picked up from their different walks of life- the hunter and the wolf. From their view point, the soldiers were stationed at the doors to the dome inside. They didn't seem to be stopping anyone as they walked in one by one after they'd gone through the scanners. However, every now and then, the soldiers would stop one or two people and take them aside to another door. Nothing too rough looking.

"Do you still have those tags?" Jasper asked quietly.

"Tags?"

"The ones on the chains. Do you still have them?"

"Yeah" Quent dug the dog chain tags out of his pocket, "What of them?"

"Put one around your neck." He said, his green-blue eyes watched as a family went through with their pet dog. The dog didn't even register in the scanner, "Tell me, do you mind having a pet for a while?"

"Pet?" Quent quirked an eyebrow, "Why would you do that?" his eyes widened when he realized what Jasper was implying, "We have two of them"

"And one will still be on my neck, however, if you haven't noticed, you're not the only wolf hunter out there" Jasper nodded to the soldiers, "I know that their helmet gear has some type of sensor that works on my kind. Even if it's not active, Jagura hates us- they'll go hay-wire soon as I step too close to these kind of soldiers even if I'm human."

"So I just leave ya here and go on my way, there, problem solved" Quent shrugged.

Jasper held a firm hand to the older man's shoulder. Quent turned to see the wolf actually giving him pleading eyes, "I know you hate…" he hesitated incase the soldiers were watching on, "I know you hate my people, but please," his blue-green eyes looked up at him with a puppy-face appeal to them that reminded Quent of Blue's bright baby blue eyes looking up at him, "I'm not asking you as a wolf. I'm pleading you as some one who needs to protect what's left of his family. The only reason I'm alive today is because of her and if I don't at least see that she's safe…. You know the kind of pain I'm talking about, right, ol'Boy" he appealed to the man.

Quents' eyes hardened. A flash of his child and wife in their small country town shone before his eyes. He closed them, to try and block out the image that made his heart want to stop at the failure he was to them, "Family, you say?"

"I know Blue's there too. I can smell the tell-tale scent of wolf even from out here. They're all here. If I'm with you, you're more likely to meet up with her." Jasper knew he'd won the hunter over again.

Quent nodded, then looked around noticing that the soldiers were watching them now. He cleared his throat, "Say, have you seen my dog by chance?"

"Dog?" Jasper played his part, "Is it a large dog? Silver and two-tone color eyes?"

"That'd be the bastard" Quent grunted back loud enough that the soldiers would hear him.

Jasper gritted his teeth at the name calling, but kept the act in play, "Sure did, sir. He wandered in the bathrooms. Probably smelled something questionable in there and went to investigate."

"Thank you young man. Good luck inside the keep." Quent tipped his hat gentlemanly to Jasper and held out a hand to shake with him, handing off the other dog-tag secretively.

Quent left to the bathrooms and Jasper disappeared in the crowd to blend in before retreating to the dumpster behind the bathrooms and reverting to wolf form with two chains around his neck. The other dog didn't have a dog-tag when it passed through with the family, but Jasper didn't want to take the chance that the scanners might have made a one-time fluke.

He trotted around the bathroom to find Quent waiting for him. Quent held up a leash he had used with Blue, "If you're going to act the part, you better look it" he said to the silver wolf's moan of protest when he realized he was going to leash him.

With the 'large-dog' leashed, Quent and Jasper walked confidently through the scanner and on to the doors, but a soldier stopped them. Both man and wolf were instantly on edge, thinking they'd been caught, but the soldier politely requested that they proceed into the other door.

They stepped into an elevator-like room. Once the doors closed off, the opposite wall opened and the floor under them started to move upward in a slow diagonal slope. The long hallway they were opened to had green florescent lights that gave it a dark, daunting feel to the hallway. The lights didn't light up all the way down either. They lit up and turned off as the platform they stood on came by and went until another set of doors opened at the end. Both man and wolf squinted as the bright light behind the doors blinded them.

"The hell?" Quent growled. When he was able to see again, he was shocked to be able to see the inside of the dome. They were passing over the lower level- or the dumps and slums as the domes occupants called them. Escalator like machines carried various passengers either upward or downward into the slums or something above- the way he and Jasper were headed. Quent wandered what the difference was and why were they going up when most of the people from the convoys were going down.

"The tags" a familiar voice whispered next to him. Quent was only half surprised that it came from the wolf by his side posing as his dog.

"Did you just talk to me?" the old man said with narrowed eyes.

"Hush!" Jasper hissed, "It's not natural for humans to talk to dogs"

"I'll say, so stop talking"

"No, what I mean is that if you look like your having a conversation with me, this could get messy and you'll end up in the dome's asylum quicker than Jagura can murder a child." Jasper growled lightly annoyed, "They can't understand me unless they know what I am."

"Nice trick you wolves developed" Quent gritted between his teeth as he looked away from the silver wolf talking to him to not look suspicious, "So what about these tags you were saying?"

"Look at the path way across from us- the one going up." Jasper pointed his nose in the direction so Quent would look, "They all have those tags and look to be upper class type people. Where as the ones going down have no tags and are a bit on the lower end of the economy system, if you know what I mean."

"You're saying this thing is like an ID?"

"Best as I can tell." Jasper replied. He sat on his haunches as they waited for the ride to reach their destination and lifted his hind paw to scratch at his fur, "Damn fleas! Soon as I'm able, I'm returning to human form to be rid of these unwanted pests"

Quent sputtered out laughing in amusement at the wolfs' expense as the silver-furred wander desperately scratched and gnawed at his fur to get the fleas off.

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"What'd I tell ya?" Hige bragged as he kicked a piece of heavy garbage out of the way from the small hole he found for the others to wiggle through to get inside the dome, "I knew I smelt a way in."

Lauralai rubbed her hands over her arms to get the warmth back into them as the heat of the dome welcomed her when they entered from the blizzard outside, "I never knew about this place in the dome…" she admitted looking around the dump that posed as a moat of sorts beneath the tall walls that held up the keep's city. She could tell they had broken into the slums area of the city- where people that weren't wealthy enough for ID tags resided.

"So how did you get out before?" Akira asked curiously, "The only other way seemed to be the entry way."

Lauralai didn't want to tell them exactly that she had ran straight through the army forces at the dead of night and dodged bullets and capture nets the like to get out of those same entry ways after they were closed to the public at night. They still didn't know exactly why she'd been here before so she just shrugged, "I was with a few others and it all happened so fast… I guess I didn't really notice."

"Really now…?" Tsume snorted, calling her bluff slightly, but backed off at Heart's warning glare.

"At least it's warmer here," Akira sighed, hugging herself to welcome the warmth but still shivering from the biting frost they had just escaped from outside.

Toboe held a hand to cover his nose, "But you didn't say that it would stink so bad…" he whined.

"Be thankful that that same stink lead us in here, pup" Hige said dryly.

Kiba looked up the tall walls. He knew that even he couldn't scale something so tall and steep. His blue eyes wandered toward Akira and watched as she looked around with that wide-eyed look in her eye as she took in her surroundings. He smiled lightly at her expressive face she made when she spotted the escalator-things that the humans where loading to go to the city or down to the slums.

"Cheza must be in the keep somewhere up there then" Heart said, also looking up toward the entry of the city, then trailing her own ruby eyes away to watch the strange escalator-like machines carrying humans from the entry way up to the keep or down to the slums that Akira was watching, "There should be an opening to the keep somewhere at the end of those escalator things" she pointed out the high machines to everyone else.

"Then we'll follow them and see if we can slip by." Kiba said catching the way Akira's curious gaze that had wandered from the strange machines that were numbered to the hundreds above them among large thick pipes running from the wall of the shell of the keep to the inner sides of the dome they had just breached. She smiled back to him, warming Kiba's heart as he did the same.

Hige's stomach growled, making everyone turn to look at him. He smiled widely and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly embarrassed.

"Again?" Laura rolled her eyes, "Didn't we just eat that walrus buffet?" she froze and blushed instantly as her own tummy answered Hige's call with its own growl for food.

Heart smiled and shook her head, "Yeah, 3 days ago" she snorted.

"Well, we can split up then" Hige offered, "Some of us can go after food and some can look for a way in the keep, how 'bout that?"

They looked to Kiba for the final word.

"We would be less conspicuous in smaller groups." Tsume offered.

"Fine then.." Kiba nodded as he approached Akira's side and held a hand out to her, which she took. He pulled her into his embrace to warm her from the cold that had been bothering her outside, "You seemed a bit cold."

Akira blushed when she noticed the others were watching with that strange knowing look in their eyes, but otherwise they left them well alone, "It's just winter, Kiba. We all have to deal with it. Besides it's warmer in here." she leaned away from him to look up at his smirking face.

"Yes, but I still don't like the smell of this dump." He snorted and pulled her back to him, "You, however smell so much more.." he inhaled more deeply with his nose in her red hair, "enticing" he sighed.

"You…. do know you two are not alone right now, right?" Hige snickered.

Akira squirmed in Kiba's embrace embarrassed, "Kiba!" she whined.

"What? I haven't done anything" he huffed.

Heart chuckled as she pulled Kiba off Akira, "She's still shy, lover boy. You just embarrassed her. She's not used to such adult situations in public, you know, like a kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Akira snapped as she crossed her arms and huffed, "And I am _not _embarrassed about it!"

"Then why's your face the same shade as your hair?" Hige grinned.

Akira stood there with her mouth a gap with nothing to say. She couldn't help it! Yes she did like the fact that Kiba's and her relationship had progressed, but she was still new to this whole thing and well…. Didn't know how to react.

"Well now look what you've done" Tsume snorted, "She's speechless. Tell us, Kiba, just what did you do when your spirits were stolen. You told us that you found a paradise."

"A false paradise, but yes, a paradise." Kiba sighed with a happy smile as he teased Akira with a dreamy look, "I don't blame her for being shy about what we did there, but _I_ certainly won't forget it for a looooong time." He grinned, scooping her up in a hug and kissing her cheek lovingly.

"You guys just love to pick on me don't you!" Akira yelped, ducking out of Kiba's grasp and giving him a mock glare, but the smile that appeared on her face showed that she really didn't mind as she danced around the pack to escape Kiba's grasp in a short-lived game of 'catch-me-if-you-can'.

Akira took in a deep breath of air as she skirted around with Kiba behind her while the pack watch on content. A scent caught her attention and she stopped, giving Kiba the chance to catch her. He grabbed her up in his arms once again, kissing her neck just to get her riled up, but frowned when she didn't react, but stayed stiff.

"Akira?" he looked down at her in his arms as she looked up at the escalators with curious eyes. He followed her line of sight and tired to see what she saw, "What is it?"

"That scent…." She whispered. Taking in a deeper breath she tried to sort out where she remembered that scent from, "I think I know that scent."

"Human?" Kiba tilted his head.

She didn't reply.

Suddenly her eyes widened when she realized just what was so familiar about that scent and looked up at the escalators more closely. Orange eyes spied silver fur and blue-green eyes. Her heart leapt to her throat and she didn't think twice about starting forward after the escalators.

"Akira?" Hige called.

The she-wolf didn't reply as she dashed from Kiba's side, leaped from ledge to pipe to get as high as the escalators did, and disappeared inside one of the large pipes that followed the same course as the escalators to the city's entrance did.

"Well, what did you do, Kiba?" Toboe glared at the white wolf who stared baffled at the course Akira had taken.

"Me?" Kiba glared back. Toboe coward behind Lauralai who grimaced as Kiba's glare followed Toboe behind her.

"I think she's just on the 'look for way in' group." Heart sighed, "I don't really feel much up to hanging around any more male testosterone than I have to, either, so how about Laura and I look for food on our own while Toboe and Hige also look for food." She turned to Tsume and Kiba, "You two I know better than to suggest looking for food. You'd better hurry up and catch up to her, or she'll leave you behind to search for her instead of the way in"

The black wolf waited until the other three were already heading off before she turned to Tsume and Kiba with a serious glint in her ruby eyes, "Don't let her get hurt, or it's your fur I mount on my wall as a trophy" she growled, then turned to follow Lauralai who was headed to the market place she remembered was down here.

Tsume and Kiba watched them go and Tsume sighed. Kiba grinned at the older gray wolf mischievously.

"Oh, yah, she was made for you" he held back a snicker.

"Yeah, and your bitch makes you follow her every move when she runs off with out your concern. At least I know where Heart goes all the time. She just 'orders' me not to follow" Tsume shot back.

Kiba shrugged and started after Akira, "Sometimes it's more fun to be the tracker rather than the ordered around bitch you seem to be"

Tsume snarled after Kiba while the white wolf poked fun at the older pessimistic wolf and dashed off after Akira with lightened spirits.

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Akira reached a ledge where one of the large pipes opened up into a small all-way just off from the blockade entrance to the keep where people with ideas had to go through another inspection before they made it inside the actual keep. The crowd up there wasn't as large as the one down below but it was still daunting to look at. The red wolf searched quickly with her orange eyes for her brother, Jazz.

She noticed him easily since he was the only canine in the crowd. The silver two-colored eye wolf stood dutifully as any pet would next to the hunter Akira recognized with his head lowered and collar bound with a leash to boot.

'What the hell is he doing?' she thought watching the wolf and man make their way slowly to the front of the line. They seemed to be the end of the load today since few others were in line behind them.

Movements from the corner of her eye made Akira jerk her head up diagonally. Kiba and Tsume had found another way to the gate walls of the city than she had through the pipes and ended up on the other side of the small mote between the lift drop off and the keep entrance where Akira had ended up. Her orange eyes met with Kiba's searching ones and she felt a reassurance that he was there for her. He seemed to search quickly for a way to get to her, looking her direction every other moment to make sure she was still in the same spot as before. Akira's attention tore away from the other two wolves when she heard a commotion going on down below and saw that the soldiers were confronting Quent and pointing their weapons down at Jasper who played his part as a cowardly pet-dog and coward behind the hunter's legs. Akira's breath caught in her throat and her body moved on its own accord as she stepped out of the pipe in the alleyway to defend her kin….

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Jasper waited by Quents' side like a good 'pet' while they approached the gates to the dome's city. So far, nothing had fallen out of place, but the way the soldiers were watching them unnerved the undercover wolf. His multi-color eyes discretely darted around, taking in the surroundings carefully and trying to see what had his senses so high on alert.

The soldiers motioned for Quent to approach the gates and the old man started to walk on, but another soldier that had been relaxing near the hummvi-truck (sp?) stood up and walked toward the others, whispering something in their ear.

"Sir, please step aside over here a moment, will you" the soldier at the blockade requested of Quent.

"Is there something wrong?" Quent could almost feel Jasper's fear from beside him as the silver wolf's fur barely withstood the urge to bristle up.

"Well, you see sir, your ID's seem to be-," the man was cut off when another soldier that was packing up to head into the dome's city for the night cried out in alarm.

"LOOSE ANIMAL!" he shouted.

"What?!" the soldier talking to Quent whirled around to see a good sized dog with a red coat and black/white markings of a fox. It's orange eyes pierced through them as it snarled when the soldiers hesitantly surrounded it until the specially-trained men could get their special armor suits on to take care of it.

Quents eyes widened, "It's the bitch I ran into with that kid!"

Jasper snarled at the defacing term the old man used to describe his half sister, "_AKIRA_!" he barked in canine "_Don't do what ever the hell you're trying to do and get the hell outta here!_"

"_And let you go to Jagura's temple alone to be sacrificed? I don't think so!_" Akira snarled back as she bore her fangs at the soldiers.

"It's just a stray dog," Quent said, "I think she might have followed us in here since I have a dog as well. You know how social stays can get to other dogs that seem familiar to them" he tried to appeal to the soldiers that were going at the red dog.

"Drive her off the ledge. That'll take care of her with out bloodying the marble floors of Jagura's paradise's front door." The soldier in command ordered with a wave of his hand.

The regular soldiers backed off when the armored suit men with their large staffs and huge shields stepped up to take their place, pushing Akira back with each step. The red wolf snapped her teeth at them to try and drive them off, but with their shields at the ready and energy staffs lowered for taking easy aim at her, she backed away from them, suddenly feeling her plan back fire.

With a fearful whine she felt her back paw at the tip of the ledge where the great wall cut off down to the slums some 100 to 200 feet down. Her fear instincts howled at her to run, but there was no where to run and she was literally a cornered animal. Just beyond the soldiers, Akira could see Quent and Jasper making their way inside the keep. Jasper was resisting the leash to keep looking back at her worriedly. Akira snarled at the men when they were with in attacking range and she lunged forward- startling a man into backing up at her sudden movement at him. She dashed her way back to the alleyway and hid in the shadows.

"Hey," the Commander groaned, "How many of you guys does it take to kill a dog?" the soldiers looked back to him stupidly and the man in charge rolled his eyes, "Corporal Hughes and Corporal Dymoton- Take care of the dog if it comes back and stay here on guard duty, the rest of you follow me. Lets load up and go home." With that said, the other five soldiers walked back to the hummvi and packed up. After that, they left the gates closed and the two corporals known as Hughes and Dymoton stayed on its posts, waiting for Akira to show herself again as instructed.

After about 10 minutes of nothing, however, the two soldiers were board stiff.

"S'not like any one can actually breach the trench of trash down there and the dome. Why do we have to guard the gates?" Corporal Dymoton mumbled annoyed.

Corporal Hughes yawned, "If you're so board, why don't you go in there and kill that bitch. There's no escape from the pipes in there, all the pipes block off when the dome shuts down at night."

"Nah, that dog's crazy! Did you see the look in her eye? They were orange too! Felt like the devil was staring at me himself."

"You're not afraid to kill a dog in an alley are you..?" Hughes raised an inquisition eyebrow.

"No!" Dymoton snapped, "Why don't you go?"

"Do you want me to walk you to the alleyway so you don't piss yourself?" Hughes offered, "Commander Riddick will have our necks if he said to kill her and she ends up making another appearance tomorrow when we open up doors again."

"Fine," Dymoton nodded, letting his gun slide from his shoulder so he could cock it ready, "The one to give her the fatal shot gets relief from duty longer,"

"Fair enough"

The two of them confidently approached the alleyway where Akira was frantically searching for a way out. The pipe she climbed up in was sealed off and now there was no escape that she could find. Her heart raced when she heard the click of a gun being loaded and cocked to the ready, and then the boot steps of two soldiers approaching her alleyway. Where was Kiba!

"This was a really bad idea" she thought aloud, "That's it, no more running off for me! Need to remember the 'buddy-rule': when ya think you're gonna run off, snag somebody to go with you." she declared as she faced away from the opening of the alleyway, looking for another way to get out. Looking up, she supposed that she could allays jump from pipe to pipe to get up at the top of the alleyway, but where to go from there was a mystery all on its own to her.

She froze when the light on her back from the opening of the alleyway darkened as a shadow cast over her. She was in human form now so when she turned around she could see the shocked looks of the soldiers behind her.

"Hey, you lost back there?" one of the soldiers called.

"Uh, no," Akira answered nervously, "Just looking for a place to rest for the night."

The soldiers shared a curious look, "how'd you get up here to the level of the keep?"

"That's the funny thing" Akira rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "I-I don't really know. I just followed the crowd."

"Do you have an ID?"

"What's that?"

"Guess not then" the soldier readied his gun, "Then you're an intruder to Jagura's paradise."

"I meant no harm! HONEST!" Akira held up her hands, "I'm really, REALLY new to how things work around here"

"Well around here you need an ID like these sweet heart" Hughes held up a shining dog chain that was strapped around his neck, "Usually you have to pay a lot of money to get them, but I'm sure we can find something else for you to do to earn them" his eyes leered at her young human form.

Akira's nerves set on edge, "Uh, no thank you." she backed away as they approached.

"Why not? It ain't gonna hurt much. Unless you haven't done that before" Dymoton smirked, "That would be…. Very welcome."

"I don't think I need the ID's that much." Akira insisted, still backing away until her back hit the back wall of the ally and they still approached with hunger in their eyes, "Look, I said _stay back_!" she tried her hardest to sound tougher than she really was.

"You'll be screaming a different tune when we're done, lady" Hughes grinned. Both soldiers stopped suddenly when a small sensor at each of their belts started going haywire with flashing red lights and a loud screeching alarm that made Akira hold her ears to block it out somewhat.

"The radar?" Dymoton blinked.

Hughes held it up and shifted it around the air before him to see what it was picking up on. Once he passed Akira a few times, it zeroed in on her and went berserk.

"She's a wolf!" he gasped.

"And she's not interested" a new voice snarled.

The soldiers barely had time to react when two men landed on top them from above. Kiba and Tsume held them down, "Isn't rape against your human laws?" Kiba snarled, punching the guy he held to unconsciousness with anger behind the blow. He quickly got off the human that was either dead or would be out for a while and went to Akira while Tsume continued to hold the other human, Hughes down.

Kiba approached Akira and brushed her bangs out of her eyes as she shook nervously, "Are you okay?"

She barely nodded and quickly hugged him with a whimper.

Kiba shook his head as he felt her trembling form against him and wrapped his arms around her to ease her fear, "Good because you're forbidden to runaway like that ever again. Do you hear me?"

Akira wanted to laugh at him, but her laugh came out as a strangled sob, "No running, no swimming in oceans, no fun. Got it" she joked lightly, though its effect was ruined since she was trying to regain her composure and get her heart rate to normal. She would not cry about this! She was not a pup! She buried her face in his chest to hide her fearful tears.

"Hey," Kiba pulled away from her so he could look her in the face, "Look at me" he raised her chin up with a finger and smiled warmly when their eyes met, "It's okay. You did nothing wrong, and I'm not mad at you. Just stop running away from me like that, alright? Learn to speak before you trot off" he frowned, "Otherwise, how can I protect you if you keep running off?" his large hand shifted under her chin so that his thumb could wipe the stray tear that escaped her watering eyes.

"Sorry… I guess I could work on my… impulsiveness.." she admitted, looking away from him shyly.

He grinned, "Don't work it completely out of your system." He lowered his head so their lips were only a breath apart, "I kinda like the impulsive side of you." he had to hold back a moan as she filled the gap between the two of them on her own and graced him with a gentle, innocent caress of her soft lips against his that had him yearning for more. He was about to sneak his tongue out to deepen the kiss when Tsume reminded them just where they were.

"Hey, lovebirds" Tsume called roughly.

Kiba turned to look at the other wolf, but didn't let go of Akira as she, once again, buried her head in his chest, thoroughly embarrassed that she'd been caught off guard like that. Kiba however showed no shame that he just attempted to ravish her in front of Tsume.

"He say's there's a way directly to the keep. But we have to go now. It's not always open. We should probably start there for a way in" The elder wolf stated, punching the human's lights out quickly and stood up and dusted off his hands, "Unless of course you two have some distractions you need to work out amongst yourselves and leave it to my lonesome self to rescue Cheza…?"

"It is tempting," Kiba admitted as he hugged Akira tighter to him with a chuckle, "But we came here for Cheza and as such, we should go to her before we allow our selves to… get distracted," his blue eyes glanced back heatedly at Akira before looking determined to Tsume

"What about the others?" Akira asked, trying not to stutter as she desperately tried to regain her composure. She could feel her nerves standing on end with Kiba so close to her and not letting her an arms' length away from him.

"They can handle themselves. We're all on our own from here on in to reach Cheza. We should all meet up by then" Kiba said, tugging her along, "Show us the way, Tsume"

Tsume nodded and leaped up to get to the top of the ally with ease. Kiba picked up Akira in his arms and followed just as easily.

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Heart held back a growl when Laura led her through the heart of slums market place. It wasn't as bad as some places they'd been to, but Heart knew it wouldn't compare to what the sunny streets of marble upstairs looked like. The humans down here seldom smelt clean, but she couldn't really blame them. She knew they were on their last leg getting here like the rest of the pack were, but enough was enough. Especially when you have a few juvenile boy's cat calling you smelling worse than when Hige eats too much gaseous foods.

Her autumn red eyes glared once more as the same boys on skateboards zipped in and out of Lauralai's path, trying to get the young girl to notice them with casual winks and cheesy grins. The young blond girl in front of her looked over her shoulder curiously to Heart and grinned at the woman's stony expression that was too much like the wolfs' 'nemesis' Tsume.

"I'll accidentally call you Tsume if you don't stop that." Lauralai teased.

Heart snorted and looked away with a sneering pout, "Whatever" she sighed, trying to ignore the skateboarders as they passed. Though she was thankful that this time they seemed to get board and move on.

"Do you really feel so uncomfortable around humans?" Laura asked quietly as she hung back a bit to talk to the elder she-wolf at her side.

Heart avoided the young innocent eyes that were even more innocent than Akira's, but that was due to the variety in age between the two, "It's not that I hate them, but I can't feel comfortable walking so blatantly around humans like this. I've been hunted by them too long."

Lauralai nodded, then looked away as if ashamed, "I… I've never really been hunted like that, besides once or twice." The young she-wolf, "So I really can't say I know much about the way you feel about it."

"Where were you before the village anyway?" Heart asked curiously. Her autumn eyes looked down at the top of the blonds head, noticing the way the shoulders under Laura's neck tensed, "You said you've been here before….?"

"There should be a path way just up ahead. It's further away from where the humans tend to cluster." Lauralai changed subject.

Heart could tell she'd rammed a nerve on the young wolf and decided to let Laura breath a bit before reproaching the subject again, but it had been killing her to know!

"Sure, whatever you say, kid. You're the one who knows where we're going" The elder wolf hinted that she wasn't letting go, but just letting it slid for now.

Lauralai sighed thankfully.

The pathway narrowed closer, pushing them way from the main floor and closer to the towering ledge above that held up the gates to Jagura's Keep. Heart's ears felt the urge to twitch even in human form as they could hear the scrape of wheels further up the path way and knew what it was instantly. Those skater punks were this way. She didn't bother to hold down her displeased growl that alerted Lauralai who had previously been airily day dreaming.

"Heart?" Laura tilted her head puppy like.

"Up ahead" Heart jutted her chin out to motion in front of them.

"What is it?"

"Those punks again." Heart rolled her eyes. She felt the current of the stale wind in the dome shift and blow towards them in all its weakness compared to the original source that was greatly toned down from outside the dome where it entered through the vents. The scent of obvious human- the two adolescent males and one grown female only vaguely familiar to her, but the third caught her attention, "Blue" she whispered.

"Who?" Lauralai blinked at where her companion once stood and looked quickly at the charging form of a black wolf known as Heart loping quickly in all her canine prowess down the path, "Hey! Wait up!" the younger wolf also reverted and dashed after the black sleek gray hound of a wolf.

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"I'm telling you," Blue had had it, "Get. LOST." She warned deeply. Her wolf side reared behind her eyes to snarl in her fiery blue sapphires, but she held on to her human form for the sake of cover. She stared in the eyes of the young male donned in a crookedly worn backward ball cap.

"Na-uh, chick," the boy smarted, "See, I don't roll like that. No body tells me what to do"

"Ready for change?" she tilted her chin chidingly.

"Try me!" he grinned, swiftly moving out of her range as she took a swipe at him. He and his heavier built friend danced around the two women on their skateboards, swerving in and out of their personal space and pushing Cher closer to Blue's side where the dark-haired, blue-eyed woman glared straight ahead.

They suddenly turned on them, intending on catching the two between them, but Blue saw it coming. She gently tugged Cher out of hams way and leaped up out of the way. The boys collided into each other surprised. Then looked up in time to see Blue kick off from the way, flip in the air and slam the heel of her boot into his should and knock him down, landing graceful as a feline.

"I warned you" she shrugged.

The heavier set boy stared down at his fallen friend then turned wide, adoring eyes at Blue, "She's the man!"

Blue was taken aback from that comment and looked to Cher to see how she should react. Cher was just as confused as she was though and was no help. A low snarl startled all of them to look to the left. A large black canine with pointed ears flattened to its head and an upside down shaped white heart marking set between two luminous autumn red eyes snarled with fangs bare threateningly as it stalked forward. Tail raised and neck fur bristled in agitation.

"You" Blue gasped.

"Whoa!" the boy yelped. He shook his friend urgently to wake up.

"What, man, what! I was dream'n-," the boy stilled when he saw the snarling animal and jumped to his feet, "Later babes, I don't do well with dogs!"

"Yea!" his friend yelped as they skated off quickly.

Cher watched them go, then turned back to Blue who had yet to take her eyes off the red-eyed animal.

"What are you doing here?" Blue asked.

"I could say the same to you" the animal replied. Cher wasn't sure if she was imagining things, but she was sure it just talked…. That would make it a wolf.

"You know it?" Cher asked.

"Her." Blue corrected, "Her name's Heart. We've met before."

"Heart." Cher echoed, looking over the wolf, "You seem familiar."

Another, younger wolf slid to a stop next to Heart, panting in exhaustion, "Couldn't you have slowed down a bit?" the pup panted. She had white fur that seemed a shade gray-er than what Kiba was and had albino red-ish-pink eyes full of naivety.

"Whose she?" Blue asked.

"Lauralai, this is Blue, Blue- Lauralai" Heart introduced as she reverted to her human form once again. Lauralai and Blue looked on another over, before ignoring each other.

"What are you doing here in the city?" Blue asked.

"Technically, we're not in the city" Laura pointed out.

"We're here for Cheza." Heart answered.

"Cheza?" Cher gasped, "We're here for her too. We were separated and-,"

"Where's Cheza?!" Heart demanded.

"Jagura's men took her…. and Jasper…. And this woman, Cher's husband, Hub." Blue explained.

"Ex-husband" Cher clarified with a sigh.

"So she really is here" Lauralai wagged her tail just before she reverted to human form, "And Jasper too? It really was him?" she turned to Heart, "I heard Akira talk a lot about him! I can't wait to meet her brother!"

Cher and Blue suddenly looked sullen. Heart's brows narrowed, "What, what is it?"

"About Jasper…. You see…" Cher started, but couldn't seem to get the right words to come out.

Blue sighed and looked up, "We saw him fall from the airship when it was flying off. We haven't seen him since."

Heart and Laura exchanged confused glances, "We just saw him… I think. He was riding up the escalator with that old huntsman" Heart said uncertainly.

"You saw Pops?" Blue brightened.

Heart nodded, "We think he's with Jasper."

"Pops with a wolf like Jasper?" Blue just couldn't see that happening, "Was he shooting at him."

"He looked like his dog or something." Laura recalled.

Cher smiled to Blue, "So I guess he really is here. You'll get to see him after all."

"Maybe." Blue nodded solemnly.

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	24. Chapter 23 Before the Dawn

Chapter 23 Before the Dawn

A/N- Issue on the Lemons- If you don't know what a lemon is, you're either too young to know or no one has told you yet. Also, issue about lemons going in story- more than likely yes, but it's at the END of the story and will have many warnings before for heads up on those who would rather not read such things- the END is still a while to go, don't worry. We're getting there though!

Acknowledgements: THANK YOU GUYS FOR MORE THAN 100 REVIEWS!!

Furyguy, froggy4543, Wildcreature, HottyKat, emilyruby, wolfsbane, Hellhound (I'm trying to update a few more times 4 you!) Aquamarine, WildKat, stargirl, tigerjaw, sweetooth, ghostwhisper, Vixie, Shurtugal, Carnage, WargishBoromirFan, coldfire, Shadow, ScarsofRemorse, Amber, RedFang, fannyone325, …. (is that everyone for chapter 22??)

Alright, with the lemons deal, that's how it's gonna be, but don't worry, we're only on chapter 23 right now and that lemon deal wont come into effect until like… chapter 30? Around there. There will be posted warnings.

Special note- DEAR GOD! I HAD NO IDEA YOU GUYS ACTUALLY LOVED THIS STORY SO MUCH! (is flabbergasted) Thank you all for your support, but I'll be updating a little slow this month. My school lets out this month and I have a few big projects to do, so the story will probably not be updated but one more chapter with in the next week. Just wanted to let you guys know, because I've been updating like every other weekend and I didn't want you guys to think I just gave up on the story- no questions answered or asked or anthing (I hate it when fanfic authors do that around summer breaks….)

Anyways, on with the fic!

-Dessy

Chapter 23 Before the Dawn

Diya was dressed in her armor that had been designed to suit her position under Jagura. She wore no helmet as she walked through the city with soldiers on either side of her. A heavy hood was draped over her head to hide her silver hair from obvious view to keep people from staring, but no one would do more than stare. All of these people were blinded by Jagura's paradise. It was too perfect in every way and they ate it up like the starved souls they were and believed whatever bullshit was fed to them regardless of how insensible it really was. Diya's dark green eyes glared at the humans that walked on by from behind her dark sunglasses. She knew that the humans recognized her as a noble's household attendant from the way her hood and cape were pure white with an inside lining of blood red. They bowed in respect as they passed by, murmuring praises to Jagura.

"The scanners say that number 23 is with in the city walls, milady" one of the soldiers said lowly from her flank.

"Is he now?" Diya replied aloofly. She suddenly stopped walking and whirled on her heel to address the men behind her who stood at attention quickly, "Why did you drag me out here if he's so close?!"

"He's not exactly the type to stay in one place…" another offered.

"So? Don't you have _scanners_ for that?" she really hated above all to actually do the wolf hunting out on the field. Unbelievable guilt always welcomed her soon as she came face to face with her reluctant prey and the betrayal in their eyes when they knew what she was doing to them and who she had haunted her every sleeping nightmare and waking daydream.

The soldiers looked to one another. One cleared his throat bravely to speak up for the rest of them, "Lady Jagura suggested that it would be fitting if … you were the one to bring in the last of the marked wolves."

'Of course she does' the part-wolf humanoid sneered silently, "Then what are you doing at my back? If she wants me to haul his ass in, then I'll do it, but your presence in grating my last nerves!" she snarled, "Did she order you to accompany me?"

"No ma'm"

"Then why are you still here?" she quipped. Her quick eyes didn't miss the way the soldiers showed small hints of their distrust of her go easily, "Is it that I'm actually part of _them_?"

The soldiers didn't answer, but the silence spoke mountains of words for her on how they felt about following orders from a wolf.

"I'll give you reason to not trust me alone if I find you peering at me over my shoulder by the time I reach the next bus-stop sign. Lady Jagura doesn't mind a few dead bodies if you should get in my way" she threatened.

The soldiers caught her message and tightly saluted her, then left her well alone.

The middle aged wolf in woman form sighed, "Finally, a breath of fresh air." She breathed in and snorted when she took in the scentless air of the annoying dome around her that had numbed her nose for a while, "Clean freak" she cursed Jagura.

She started once more down the sidewalk, but stopped when she reached an ally, looking down it thoughtfully as a new scent, an actual scent, drifted to her sensitive nostrils. She flared them as they burned with the scent of male wolf.

"It's a start." She followed the scent into the maze of the back alleyways….

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Heart and Blue had managed to snag some IDs for the four of them with a little help from the smooth talking Cher while Lauralai had hidden in the shadows and out of the way. The elder of the two black wolves ruffled the other's hair fondly with a wide grin on her face.

"I thought he was going to shit himself kittens after you slammed him against the wall like that, Blue" she praised the blue eyed wolf as the four women strolled down the sidewalks of the city they had just smuggled into with the ID's around each of their necks.

"Unfortunately, he did piss himself." Blue huffed with a snort as she shoved the elder girl off her and shook her hair back into place, "I don't think I'll be able to smell very well ever again"

"Oh, quit baby'n" Heart laughed.

Cher shared a small smile with Lauralai as the two girls interacted in a sibling-like fashion. Though Cher hadn't known Blue for long, it warmed her heart to see the wolf's blue eyes dance with life around this autumn-eyed woman who could pass as her twin if they had the same hair style.

"They act like sisters, don't they?" Cher said.

Lauralai had kept quite for the most part, feeling on edge ever since they entered the actual city gates and tried to keep her outer expression normal. Luckily if she seemed to be acting weird, no one noticed, or said anything about it.

The girl's dark green eyes looked up to Cher who was still watching the other two women interact amusedly. The young girl sighed with a nod.

"Yeah, the really do." She agreed, looking back to the path before them and stopping in fear suddenly, then inched behind Cher.

"Laura…?" Cher trailed her eyes to where the girl's frightened green ones stared horrified and glued her blue orbs on a troop of soldiers who were walking across the street well armed. She too stopped and looked to Heart and Blue, who stopped and watched warily as the soldiers passed by.

"Blue…" Cher whispered as the soldiers glanced at them before continuing on. One even had the gall to wink at them.

Blue looked to Heart who didn't take her eyes off the men until they were out of sight. She then looked to Lauralai, who was cowering behind Cher, still in panic. Her autumn eyes darted to an alleyway, and then motioned for the others to follow her lead to it. Once out of plain sight, she turned to the others.

"Look, we're a bit of an attraction with all of us women traveling together like this when we're supposed to be outsiders. We're more likely to draw attention to us if we look too inviting." She smirked.

"What do you suggest then?" Cher asked.

Heart looked to Blue, "You know my scent?"

"If you're asking if I could find you, trust me, with the way this place is cleaned up and scentless as it is, you'll stick out like a stink bomb if I actually tried to sort out your scent from this place to find you." Blue nodded.

"Good, you and Cher will go alone from here on in then. Laura and I will continue to look for the keep as well. If you find anything, howl." Heart said.

"You're sure that's a good idea?" Cher asked worried.

"The way these humans act, they can't tell the difference between a dog wail and a wolf howl." Laura pointed out dryly.

"Good point" Cher nodded.

"Alright then." Heart straightened, "We'll take this side of the street, and you guys head over to the other side and go from there?"

"Right" Blue nodded, leading Cher away.

"Be careful" Cher whispered to the wolves as she passed them by.

Laura nodded to her in reassurance, and then looked back to Heart. The older wolf was glaring at something above them with a sneer on her face.

"Heart?" Laura blinked, trying to sense the danger, "What is it?"

"Ravens" Heart snorted.

Just as she said that, a raven swooped down just over their heads, causing Laura to duck instinctively, but Heart had to resist the urge to snap at the bird and claw it down in spite of it for its mocking cackle of a caw it squawked down at them.

"Filthy vermin" the she-wolf snorted before continuing on her way.

Laura watched as the raven roosted on a near by bench where an elderly couple tossed bread crumbs to pigeons. Its dark eyes set on the trembling young wolf as if it knew her secrete. It flapped its feathers and hauntingly stared at her while Lauralai nearly choked as she swallowed nervously. She felt like she'd seen that bird before somewhere as it bore holes into her from its unrelenting stare.

"Oy! Laura, you coming?" Heart called, snapping Laura out of her frightened trance.

"Hey! W-Wait up!" she yelped and hurriedly scurried off after Heart, feeling better once she was at the elder, stronger wolfs side.

"What's with you?" Heart asked, "You seem like you saw a ghost or somthin."

"J-Just the city f-fumes getting t-to me" Laura stuttered.

Heart shrugged and looked over her shoulder, "Stay close, okay? We're being followed." she warned.

Lauralai glanced over her shoulder and caught the eye of a soldier leaning against one of the stoplight poles watching them suspiciously. A few more glances around them and Laura noticed that there were many others mingled with the pedestrians watching them like hawks. A sense of dread filled her as the elder wolf tugged her along.

"Don't look back" Heart quipped.

Laura jumped, startled and whimpered, "I'm scared"

"Just stay close, and you'll be fine. I won't let them hurt you" Heart promised with a silent vow to keep that promise determinedly.

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"Akira…." Kiba sighed in dismay, "Are you sure you don't want me to carry you?"

"You've carried me for the last 30 minutes of this 'Rescue Mission' and I feel like walking now. My legs are starting to cramp anyways." Akira reprimanded with a stubborn blush across her face.

"You'd be warmer in my arms"

"I am a big girl you know." Akira shot back.

"Oh, I do. Believe me," He grinned.

"You know what, how about I start using that silent treatment now that Heart taught me." She threatened.

"You're not gonna do that," Kiba shook his head.

Akira held a finger up to her lips in a "Sshh-ing" motion to show she was serious.

"Awe come one!" he whined, but she didn't relent. Kiba sighed in dismay.

"Don't you find this a bit too easy?" Tsume mumbled after a while as they walked the empty halls of Jagura's keep. They seemed to go on and on with no end and no sign of life, not even a picture, just endless archways of tall ancient hallways that echoed hauntingly. He couldn't pick up any scent of humans near them, but this place made his skin crawl.

"We made it in didn't we?" Kiba replied gruffly, irked that Akira was ignoring him now.

Akira remained silent as she bent one arm in front of her to grasp the elbow of the other nervously. She too felt restless and on high alert even with the light hearted bickering Kiba tired to badger her into while he walked in front of her protectively with Tsume at her back, she still felt like someone was watching her, just waiting for her to fall into some elaborate trap. She felt her heart speed up and lurch familiarly. It had only done that once before when she sensed Cheza falling from the sky and calling out to her. Even now, she could feel the silent tug the flower had to her heart, beckoning her forward to her side. She could barely hear the whispers of the flower maiden's soft voice calling her name.

Tsume snarled behind her, "I can't stand it here! It's making all my hair stand on end!"

"It is rather daunting, isn't it?" Akira whispered softly, feeling intimidated with the mere size of the archways that lined the long, long endless halls.

"So you'll talk to _him _now?" Kiba sneered mockingly.

"I can't even sense humans anywhere, but I feel as if they're watching us! Damn it what the fuck is wrong with this place." Tsume agitatedly clenched his fists, ready to punch something if to get the edge out of his system.

"Well this is new" Kiba snorted.

"And what, pray tell, would that be?" Tsume snapped.

"I never thought I'd hear you actually whine so much." The blue eyed man glanced over his shoulder as if to tease the elder, golden eyed one.

Tsume bit back the instinct to rise at the bait Kiba tossed at him, "Well I'd say it's a natural reaction with the way this fuck'n place is."

Kiba seemed to ignore the other males temper tantrum while Akira worriedly glanced back ever so often to check on Tsume.

"One thing is for certain though." Tsume stopped walking for a moment.

Akira walked a few more paces before she too stopped and in doing so, caused Kiba to reluctantly stop a few feet ahead of herself, not wanting to put too much distance between them.

"I can still smell flowers. And it isn't Akira." The older wolf said lowly.

Kiba looked back down the path they were headed, "we're getting closer." He said.

A loud screech of metal sliding against metal pierced his ears and Akira screamed behind him. Kiba whirled around, ready for a fight, only to come to a sudden wall behind him, confusing him momentarily.

"AKIRA! TSUME!" Kiba rushed forward and shoved against the wall, banging his fists furiously at the object that separated him from them.

"KIBA! KIBA CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Tsume called from the other side of another wall, "EH! KIBA, ARE YOU AND AKIIRA ALRIGHT?"

Both males' blood ran cold when they heard Akira's bloodcurdling scream of utter terror, "KIBAAA!!" she screamed.

She was trapped in the space between the two walls that had suddenly slid into place. No light shined in, making her feel nauseous and suddenly claustrophobic as she held her arms out wide spread and felt both walls on either side.

"HELP ME!" she cried out in fear.

"HANG IN THERE, I'LL GET YOU OUT!" Kiba called through the wall. He slammed himself again and again into the wall, trying to make a dent in it futilely. He stilled in fear when his ears picked up the sound of metallic armor. He could hear something like a mechanic door on the other side of the wall between him and Akira open. The sound of claws scraping against the floor told of a struggle as a strangled snarl he knew to belong to her made him snarl in rage.

Akira was blinded by sudden light as a wall from the side lifted up. Three soldiers walked in one at a time, blocking any escape she could every think of to get around them. They seemed to hesitate a moment, as if looking her over through the scanners behind the helmets they wore that covered their eyes.

"The red one. Is it her?" one asked.

"The chain says all. Lady Jagura said the one she sought would have a chain identical to her own pets'" another reassured as he lowered his weapon. A blast of stun waves brushed Akira's fur as she agilely dodged with what little maneuvering space she had and growled lowly to try and intimidate them, but it wasn't working.

"Let's take this bitch in, boys"

Akira felt a shock wave slam through her body and flung her back into the wall behind her, knocking the back of her head harshly with a sickening thud of impact. Her eyesight blurred and darkened as she snarled as best she could, trying to will her weakness away and stand up again, like she knew Kiba would, but alas, her body was too weak and stayed put paralyzed on the ground, merely growling up at them as they approached with, through her eyes, their deformed figures blurred in and out of darkness.

The last thing she heard was the sound of Kiba's angry howl that was joined by the slamming sound of impact made by Tsume charging head long to knock down the thick wall between them.

"Ki….Kiba" she weakly called out before falling unconscious.

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Diya could tell things were heating up. The radio she was required to wear that connected her to the other patrols wildly spat out reports from other soldiers communicating back and fourth their sudden sightings of wolves. One squad announced that they sighted a woman accompanied by a dark female wolf that got away. Another answered back asking if the dark one was accompanied by a silver albino young female. Diya's heart stopped at the mention of the albino. All it took was a bit more focus on the suddenly diverse scents of wolves in the air for her fears to be confirmed- Lauralai had returned to this hell hole.

"What are you doing here!" she growled under her breath.

"Hige, common! Tell me what's wrong!" a feminine voice whined from up ahead.

"Let's just get out of here, Blue!" a male voice this time.

"And leave the others? Are you just going to abandon them- AND Cheza?" the female protested, "What about paradise!"

"It doesn't matter!"

Diya could tell they were approaching her and from the scent, it was the one she was hunting. The idiot was walking right at her so she decided to stand and wait for them to notice her.

"If only Akira could hear you say that! I wish she'd be here right now to snap at you and tell you how much of a bastard you are right now!" the female seemed to reprimand the males' disregard of paradise.

Diya froze, all thoughts of killing these two flew from her mind. They knew her daughter, Akira.

"How do you know that name" she demanded, startling the two wolves in human form.

Blue looked over the woman that came out of no where it seemed and noticed she smelled with the reek of soldiers and nobles. That sweet tarty scent that made the half wolf's nose burn with the need to sneeze it out of her senses. She glared at the female and snarled threateningly while Hige seemed to stare in horror.

"What's it to you?" Blue demanded.

"Blue…" Hige cautioned. She didn't understand why he was so afraid. It was just a woman…

"ANSWER ME DAMNIT!" the woman cried out, "How do you know that name?"

"We don't have to tell you anything." Blue bit back.

The hooded woman bypassed Blue as if she weren't there and snatched Hige by the collar, slamming the boys' back to the wall behind them, "TELL ME HOW YOU KNOW HER NAME!"

"Who-Who??" Hige gasped as her hand tightened around his throat. He was surprised that this small woman had so much strength. He sucked in a heavy breath through his nostrils to fill his lungs and stilled, "You're… you're a… wolf…"

The woman sneered at him as soon as he called her a wolf and threw him across the ally to slam against the opposite wall where Blue stood and knocked them both down.

"Don't…. you …. EVER…. Call me…"the woman seemed to struggle with herself while Blue and Hige looked up shocked and confused at her. That's when Hige realized the sudden familiarity in her scent. She smelled like Akira…. And Lauralai faintly…

"You're… you're Akira's real mother?" he looked up with narrow eyes, trying to comprehend what was going on.

The woman stared down at them in disbelief. She shook her head as if in denial, "Just…. Please" she said softer now, "Tell me where-,"

"Come in, Diya, come in" the radio barked form her waist. Out of habit, Diya answered automatically.

"Diya here" she replied.

"We've spotted an adolescent male wolf. Our radars still say there are two more out there in your direction. Do you have hold on them?"

Blue and Hige looked to each other anxiously. Blue was ready to break and get the hell out of there, but if this woman was going to get in the way, she was game to take her out at the same time. Hige was still trying to catch his breath and comprehend what was going on. His eyes widened when he heard the radio mention they'd captured an adolescent male.

"That's Toboe!" he exclaimed.

"What about Lauralai and Heart?" Blue worriedly whined.

Diya's green eyes widened, "Lauralai?"

"Diya? Diya, do you copy? Diya!" the radio barked at her.

Diya pressed down the recall button, "I copy."

"Do you require assistance to take down your target?" it demanded.

Blue glared up at the elder woman, daring her to call for help while Hige tensed, ready to make a run for it. They were surprised to see the woman bare her teeth angrily at the offending radio.

"Stay out of my business! If I find one of your men near my hunt, I'll hunt them as well! Do you hear me!" she snapped.

Static buzzed in reply over the radio before the man's voice came back short-winded, "Ye-Yes ma'm! Over and out" Diya promptly switched off the radio so it would stop pestering her.

"So now what." Hige challenged. He started to feel some semblance of fight left in him now that he had a better hold on just what was going on, "Are you going to turn us in?" he spat.

"That's rich, coming from one such as you." Diya chuckled coldly, kneeling down before Hige and holding out a hand to touch the collar about his neck. He flinched away, but she held it firm. Her compassion shining in her eyes startled Blue and Hige to not move.

"You don't know what this is," Diya whispered, looking Hige in the eye, "Do you?"

Hige didn't answer.

Diya snorted, "Do you not remember what its purpose is?" still no response.

She stood up, "Well then, you leave me no choice but to speak the spell bind." She huffed.

"What do you mean 'spell bind'?" Blue stiffened, ready to attack.

"Easy, girl" Diya made a point to speak softer to them now so as not to alarm the young couple any more than she already had. Sure she had her orders, but rules were meant to be broken and she felt it was time to have a slight change in plan, "I mean neither of you no harm- yet." she added quickly, "Let me entertain you with a short story- you see, long ago, Jagura set a plan in motion to wipe out all of wolf kind due to a legend she learned about while dabbling in the dark arts of alchemy. She set out special squads to hunt down the wolf, but the wolf was cunning and so developed a strong defense against them- shape shifting as humans. Just as you and I are doing now." Diya pointed from her self to them for emphasis.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Blue butted in.

"Let me finish," Diya gritted her teeth, "As such, the number of caught wolves declined, but Jagura knew that there were far too many still roaming free. So she captured stray and loner wolves and had them tagged with a special, alchemic enhanced collar. 25 wolves in all. The collar suppresses direct memories of her and this place they were brought to, but it imprinted the instinct to seek out and lure in other wolves. Once the wolf returned 'home', they were retired, so to speak. All wolves have returned, except the one who has gone missing," Diya's eyes flashed to connect with Hige's curious ones, capturing his gaze to set him in a trance like state as she spoke the next words, "Disband, wolf number 23."

Hige suddenly hunched forward in pain. An eerie high-pitched sound struck his ears and pain zinged through his body with hot lightning force. He cried out in agony, struggling on his side and thrashing about as if he'd gone mad.

"Hige??" Blue jumped in alarm, "HIGE! WHAT'S WRONG!?" she tried to help him, but he shoved her away blindly. Blue whirled on Diya, who seemed to have a numbed look in her eyes, "WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!"

"I released him" Diya said softly.

"YOU'RE KILLING HIM! CANT YOU SEE HE'S IN PAIN?"

Diya didn't look at the frantic young half breed even when Blue back handed her with enough force to make the older woman stagger backwards a few steps.

"YOU LIEING BITCH!" Blue cursed, "I'll bet this was your plan all along: To torture us to death!"

"It's not my doing that has him in such pain. Jagura was the one who imprinted the pain inside him and all the others if someone who knew the secrete released one of them with the disbanding spell." She turned to Blue finally, "If she would have said the words, it would force himself to rip out his own throat."

Blue winced when Hige cried out again in pain, "Then how do we make it stop!?"

Diya took out a knife from her utility belt and held it at the ready, "Hold him down as best as you can."

"Why, so you can cut out his heart?" Blue snapped.

"I'M TRYING TO SAVE HIM YOU IMPUDENT TWIT! NOW HOLD HIM DOWN SO I CAN ACTUALY DO WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO!" Diya snapped, agitated with the attitude Blue coughed at her.

Blue glared back at her, but did as told and gripped Hige by the shoulders then wrestled him down and pinned him under her. Her knees pressed into the small of his back as she held down his arms by the back of his elbows so he couldn't bend them. His legs still flailed about, but there was nothing she could do about that.

Diya eased herself on one knee near Hige's head and held down his thrashing head to keep him still. She tugged at his hair to make him bare his throat to her and the collar wrapped loosely around it. The 'X' pendent flashed red and white like a blinking out of order stoplight. She held the knife at the ready and steadied the collar.

"I'm going to dismantle it." She explained.

"What?"

"Destroy the tracker" once said, she swiftly stabbed the knife through the 'X' pendent and jerked the knife sideways to slice the collar in half and allow it to fall from Hige's neck.

Hige panted and went limp under Blue exhaustedly.

Blue looked back up to Diya disbelievingly, "How did you…?"

Diya didn't look at her as she tossed the collar over her shoulder with a disgusted look on her face, "You remember when I said there were 25 other wolves like Hige? I was number one- 'A' was on my collar. Jagura just took a liking to me and kept me as a pet rather than a mounted trophy for my 'retirement'"

Hige coughed under Blue, "Not that I'm not enjoying the close contact, Blue" he rasped out a weak chuckle, "But seriously… I can't breathe"

"Oh!" Blue yelped and jumped off of him, helping him sit up after he tried to stand, but fell to his knees weakly again.

"Th-thank you" he wheezed, looking up to Diya.

"You can thank me by telling me what I want to know." Diya quipped, "How is it that you know my daughter, Akira?"

"We traveled with her following Cheza and Kiba on the way to paradise." Hige answered easily enough.

"Where is she now?"

"We don't know. Our group split up to find a way inside and find Cheza." Blue offered.

"Knowing her and Kiba, they're with in the keep by now." Hige said as an after thought.

Diya froze.

'Oh no..' she thought. She turned on her heel and quickly started toward the keep once again.

"Just how do we go on…" Hige asked before she could get away, "How do you expect me to keep on living knowing that every thing I ever thought or felt was a lie?"

"Hige" Blue whispered sympathetically.

"Just tell me that" Hige seemed to beg Diya.

Diya stood where she was, let the silence hang over them for a moment before answering, "You've made it this far, haven't you? What made you come here wasn't the collar."

"But you said-,"

"That was all the other wolves before Cheza was held here." she cut him off sharply, "Look, I don't really care what you do for I cant make you do what ever it is either way. I told you what was wrong with you and unhooked your chain to Jagura's sin." She looked over her shoulder, "if you still feel like it's your fault, then go and repent by helping the ones you hold dear to you. Protect them."

Diya looked up sharply and snarled in anger, "DAMN IT THOSE FUCK'N MORONS!" she hissed.

Two soldiers following a signal let out from Hige's discarded collar stopped abruptly when they came across the crossroads of the back ally Hige, Blue and Diya were in.

"WOLVES!" one shouted, readying his rifle.

Diya suddenly appeared at the men's side and swiped her leg into the backs of their knees, shoving them down to the ground, "I told you to stay out of this!" she barked, glancing up at Blue and Hige, she nodded for them to get out of here. The other two wolves didn't hesitate. They left her well alone.

Once they were gone, Diya turned to the two groaning soldiers, "You will not have the pleasure to disobey me again." She snarled as her form shifted to an angry she-wolf and attacked them.

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Quent could tell he had had a bit too much to drink. He could barely tell what was and was not moving around and underneath him as he staggered to the door. Once outside, he hiccupped and wiped his mouth with the back of his gloved hand.

"Coming through! MAKE WAY!" a soldier called out as they jogged by him. Quent watched them all carry a few crates of food and supplies to the back of a truck and wandered in his hazy mind what they'd need all that food for. He noticed with chagrin that they also seemed to be stocking up on a lot of red wine and good ol' whisky.

"Wander what's got them all packin up," he muttered, expecting to hear a smart remark about the way he smelt of alcohol from the dog he had had to leave outside tied up. He knew he smelled something terrible probably, because his nose was itching in a way that only happened when you could smell something down right disgusting. When he got no response he turned and asked again, "Oye, I'm-…?" he blinked when he looked down at the exposed pipe that still had the dog leash coiled to it and the attached collar, but the dog was missing.

"Jasper?" he looked around, then gritted his teeth, "Stupid mutt abandoned me the first chance he got!"

"Lose your dog, old man?" a soldier snickered as he came out from the bar.

Quent turned his stupered anger on the first person he saw- the soldier, "HE'S A FUCK'N WOLF, I TELL YA! THEY'RE ALL MUTINOUS BASTARDS, THE LOT OF THEM!" he cried out.

"Man have you had too much to drink." The soldier and his buddies chuckled.

Up on the roof of the bar, a silver wolf with mismatched color eyes watched as the drunken old man staggered into the evening sidewalks of the city and sighed, "Sorry old man, but this is where our partnership ends." He whispered.

A tingle went up his spine and the wolf growled lowly at the intrusion in his mind.

_**Hear my call, brother wolf, and return to my side as we take back that which has been stolen from me.**_

The husky voice inside Jasper's mind demanded. Jasper could already feel his limbs obey the command and felt his body track down the scent of the man who held him prisoner to his own body.

'_I serve no one, you hear me?!' _ Jasper bit back.

_**You will hear and obey my command. **_Jasper felt the added zing of his curse as a spark of pain jolted his legs to run faster and jump farther over the roof tops to regroup with his 'master' waiting for him at the entrance of the Keep.

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	25. Chapter 24 Queen of the Damned

Chapter 24 Queen of the Damned

A/N- Like the chapter title? Lol! Cookies to everyone who knows who the queen of the damned is in this fic (It's pretty obvious to me.) Still being floored with all the wonderful reviews! Keep the tidal waves coming and the chapters I'll keep going

Acknowledgments-

ScarsofRemorse, bloodymary, freakingod, TheLeopardDemonNovelist, Quickstrike, freddbing323, froggy4543, Prettykitty67, emilyruby, Aquamarine, deathfang, Shadow, AngelOfVengeance, Wildcreature, Dhole, gossip girl, Hybrid, fannyone325, wolfsbane, coldfire, Shurtugal, tigerjaw, Hellhound, Vixie, HottyKat, stargirl, Carnage, RedFang, Furyguy, WildKat, Venom (Pants for breath- is that every one?? God there's a lot! Lol! Loves you all!)

Request for Reviewers-

I'm taking a mental note on something, please tell me in your review what your favorite thing about this fic is. Tell me if it's a part of the story, something that's in the story, the way it's written, whatever, just tell me (hops up and down like excited fox kit) I really wanna know for real!

-Thanks!

-Dessy!!

Chapter 24 Queen of the Damned

Akira opened her eyes slowly, but found that she was blind folded. The metallic chink of chain-links and the cold steel of cuffs bound around her wrist told her that she was not only blinded but restrained too. She tried to bring her arms to her torso and hug herself for warmth, but her wrists were restrained in a way that did not allow that. They were held up and away from here body, but not in a way that she had to strain for breath. The scent of flowers blocked out all her other senses, so she couldn't gage any of her surroundings.

"Cheza?" she called.

Her hearing could pick up the sound of liquid inside something like glass behind her.

"Cheza? Cheza can you hear me?! Are you alright? CHEZA!" she called out.

_**This one is… here. **_ Cheza replied inside Akira's head.

"Where are you?" Akira asked, relieved to hear her voice, "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

_**This one is fine, but she is scared**_. Cheza admitted.

"The red wolf" a sultry low feminine voice drawled from in front of Akira. She could hear the screech of metal armor shifting as the woman drew nearer to her. She jerked her face away when she felt a cold gloved hand stroke her cheek delicately and snarled back.

"Do not be afraid of me, little one. You have no need to fear me." The voice chuckled.

"Who are you?!" Akira demanded, trying to be brave for her and Cheza as she heard Cheza's whimpers in her mind. Who ever this woman was, Cheza feared her.

"I am the queen of the world, the lady Jagura" Jagura drawled.

Akira fought against her restraint in blind anger. she lashed out viciously as her beast inside her snarled for that woman's blood to coat her fangs and spit her blood back out on her dieing cold hearted corpse. Jagura didn't step away and chuckled as if Akira were an amusing zoo animal acting for her benefit.

"You are a lively one, aren't you?" she chuckled.

"Let her go!" Akira demanded, "Can't you see you're hurting her! She'll wither away in that tank!"

"She is merely resting and restoring her strength for the final act of tonight's escapades." Jagura explained as if she were talking to a child, "You and she will open the gates of paradise to this world and unleash what my dreams have shown to me."

"I would sooner die!" Akira spat.

Jagura cupped Akira's chin in the palm of her hand, "When the red moon submits its entire body and soul willingly to the new or the full moon, then shall paradise open wide to the receiver and unleash the greatest desire known on earth."

"You're twisting what it truly means!" Akira protested.

"It has been written and decreed in the very book of the moon that predicted your very own birth and the creation of Cheza. It has many ways of opening paradise, but this particular one is the legend turned truth by time its self." Jagura countered, "The white wolf will come and with his blood, I'll offer the final rights to open my paradise. The moon will shine down on you and Cheza while mere drops of your blood is paid for your consent. But only a shallow wound will become of you. I will not kill such a precious creature as you."

"You'll have to kill me if you intend to get to my blood." Akira snarled with conviction.

"So eager to die? And what of the others? What of your brother, Jasper? Your friends? Your mother?" Jagura accentuated the last word deceptively.

"I have no mother. She died a long time ago." Akira corrected.

"I beg to differ, for the only reason I have come to find Cheza and yourself was the connection of mother and daughter. She makes a fine pet."

Akira pulled at her chains. Her canine fangs piercing her lip slightly as she snarled dangerously at Jagura, feeling the heat of the woman's body so close that she knew the lady was not a mere 3 inches in front of her, the smell made her nauseous, "I'll rip your throat out."

Jagura chuckled once again, "Rest up my dear" she said, turning to leave, "For tonight, you and Cheza are the guests of honor in my celebration of the opening of paradise to the whole world. A feast will be held in honor of you."

Akira shook in rage as the noble left her and Cheza alone. She could hear the hum of the capsule that held Cheza behind her and knew her restraints were somehow hooked up to it. She bent to her knees, wincing as the action put more strain on her shoulder blades as it forced her arms to rise higher over her head like a crucified angle, "Damn you," she cried. Letting the tears fall and not bothering to hold back any longer, "DAMN YOU ALL!"

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His heart was pounding in his ears. He could barely see in front of him. He knew she was here- some where! She was here damn it and he would find her. Her scent plagued him now. The walls flashed by in his vision as he raced through the hallways alone now and following the dominant scent of after rain fall and the lunar flower, the scent that defined Akira. Banging against that closed off wall back there was a literal waste of time to Kiba when he knows she's no longer there. She's deeper with in the keep, just like Cheza was.

Well he'd just have to damn well find them now, wont he!

"AKIRA!" he called out, not caring if the soldiers found him now. Let them come. He needed an out let for all this anger he was working up in losing her…. AGAIN.

He wasn't let down.

They came.

They came when he finally found a staircase in a sea of hallways. An endless search had been closed, but only to find another annoying nuisance in the way- men. They were Jagura's armored men, armed and ready to take down wolves and specialized to kill the chosen wolf such as Kiba. For it is his blood Jagura wanted to paint on the walls of her paradise.

Kiba snarled in his wolf form, daring them to take a step forward and meet death at his jaws. He was inching for it and he wished they would actually have the guts and take off their helmets. He'd want to see the look on their faces as he crushed the life out of them with his jaws for taking his Akira away from him and his flower! All he had to live for, this Jagura bitch was taking from him and he had had enough!

There were a grand total of thirty men in the suddenly crowded corridor that branched off to the spiral of a staircase. Deep with Kiba's gut he had a feeling that somewhere up there was where Akira was. So that was where he was going as well.

A soldier made the stupid mistake to take on the white wolf alone and stepped away from the protection of the crowd to take on the wolf one on one, boasting that Kiba's pelt was going to go on his wife's wall. Kiba quickly put an end to that little fantasy.

The man struck down with his bladed staff of a weapon- the metal screamed as it slammed to the bare marble beneath Kiba's paws and just off from where he had treaded. The white wolf snarled and doubled back in a twist on limber motion and leaped into the air, jaws wide. He snapped them closed when pearly white fangs connected to hard core metallic armor of the soldier's neck-guard, piercing through it as if it were nothing but a lamb's skin. Kiba's fangs were sharp as steel and had been primed years before for this kind of destruction. Metal was no obstacle for a wolf who knew his enemy and had been killing them easily before.

No one moved. They were too shocked.

Who wouldn't be! This animal just took down a man by simply pouncing on him and sinking its fangs into a metallic neck guard that was supposed to prevent injury from anything, but it had been bitten through like bread almost! It was a little more than daunting to hear the sickening snap of torn flesh tearing away from the fangs that pierced through the armored suit and deep in the flesh as the wolf raised its head from its fallen prey and bore its blood stained fangs menacingly as if to say in plane English 'WHOSE NEXT!'

That was the silent signal for the deadly dance to begin. The wolf hunter soldiers were no longer playing games. They knew that if they didn't kill this one, he would kill them and he _would_ enjoy it.

The white wolf was like a phantom as he faded in and out of their ranks to avoid their hail of attacks with their spears that had bladed tips with laser's shooting out at him. Much like the lasers that shot out at him before with Darcia, but this wasn't just a ship he was up against. It was an entire squadrons of wolf hunters.

Pain bit through him as their hot laser beams snagged into his fur and skin. He could feel his hot blood start to weep out in some areas, but he refused to let it slow him down. Adrenaline pumped through his heart and lungs as he raced around them, strategically placing when and where he moved to confuse them. He slyly was able to make them shoot down their own and they stupidly didn't realized what had happened until their shot comrade was already dead in a puddle of his own blood. They were all just trying to shot down one white blur that continued to evade them swiftly.

Kiba was backed into a corner below the staircase. He could feel his body weakening from blood loss and still he pushed on faster, harder, fiercer than before. Akira was counting on him and he could feel time pass him by slowly as the moon started to climb high above them through the glass ceiling above. Its red tented under color hazed in Kiba's mind as he felt the urge to howl in all his power. The low baritone of the battle cry carried deeply with in the halls, echoing it with such a force that it would forever haunt them men even in the after life as the white, deadly phantom took them down like stalks of corn for a farmer in the harvest.

Kiba saw blood flying around him. Heard the screams of terror as he shot forward, taking down one man at a time and still they stupidly rushed forward at him, trying to justify their fallen comrades by killing him, but he would not be killed. Not by the likes of them. He was too proud for that.

He ran through them till he could hear their final pants of breath no more. The final soldier stood in his way. The man was a lumbering giant that could probably crush any normal wolf easily with out a sharp weapon to spare, but Kiba was a wolf on a vengeance trek that refused to be quenched of the thirst for human blood as retribution for taking his heart away from him, in a matter of speaking.

Kiba once again tore through the air with his bloodied fangs and claws dripping behind him with the hot fresh blood he had spilt so carelessly of his own and the men around him. he suddenly stopped just inches from the man as he tackled him to the ground like all the others, not caring in the way the man wrestled with his massive arms trying to wrap around the wolfs neck to get some leverage as Kiba held back from sinking his fangs into the mans throat like all the others. Through the blood lust and pain of anger he felt numbness to, a scent pierced through the heavy wet one of human blood- Akira.

This man was bathed in Akira's scent.

The white wolf snarled down at the man who was struggling underneath him, trying no doubt to shove the large white wolf off him, but Kiba had him pinned. Even if the man didn't realize it just yet, Kiba had slashed deeply into the mans legs and lower torso and he was literally dieing slowly under Kiba's fangs and claws even with out Kiba tearing out it throat like he want to before Akira's sudden scent shocked him into distraction from the rein of bloodlust in his suddenly red system. His nose snorted to spray the wet blood from his nostrils to inhale her calming scent once more and this time more deeply. The flowery rain essence calmed his rage inside him and centered him once more on his goal rather than blindly killing.

With a disdainful snort and shake of his snout, Kiba tore out the screaming man's throat to shut him up. His ears rung from the loudness of human screams he had just had to under go and he shook his head to get the annoying itch of the ringing out of his head. Blood spattered the walls around him and suddenly his body felt very heavy. Now that his adrenaline was starting to wane once more, his body was reminding him that he wasn't exactly worse for wear either.

Looking up, Kiba set his wolf golden eyes to the spot where he could tell the stair case ended and the large doors to the next corridor began. He had his target in sight.

He set one paw to the stairs and realized with sudden grief how stupid he was for letting himself get so carried away like that. Akira would be ashamed if she saw him like that, like this- blood-soaked and in pain now from his many wounds that ached as he started up the steps.

"I'm… coming…. Akira…" he gritted through his teeth as he started to hobble his way up, feeling his strength return to him in sheer will power to protect Cheza and Akira in the time to come.

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Toboe leaned against the cell wall between him and Tsume. Both had been caught by Jagura's men and sent to the dungeons, after that, it was as if they didn't exist. There was no guard down there to watch over them. Only a scruffy-looking, blond haired human man in the cell across from them was all that was left for company other than either wolf- However, since they were in adjacent stalls, Toboe and Tsume couldn't see one another... An old female wolf had been taken out of the cell next to the human after the soldiers deposited Toboe none-too-gently into his own cell. At first, Toboe was afraid, but the sound of Tsume's gruff voice calmed him to know that at least someone he knew was close by.

"What happened to Kiba? What about Akira?" Toboe asked the elder wolf, "I thought they were with you?"

"Kiba and I were separated in the Keep. There are traps all over here, but he hasn't been sent here, so he's probably somewhere deep inside that thing by now." Tsume replied.

Toboe waited for him to continue, but Tsume made no mention of Akira, "And… what about Akira?" Toboe could feel Tsume's tension and feared the worse, "She… She's not… well is she…?"

Tsume didn't seem to want to answer. It was almost as if he felt guilty for whatever had happened to her, "I don't know. When Kiba and I were separated, it was by a strange wall that closed us off from each other. I could hear Akira's screams of fear and Kiba sounded like he was banging himself against the other side. She's also probably separated from us all by now."

"You don't think they'd kill her do you?" Toboe choked worried.

A lump in Tsume's throat formed and for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to reply to the young wolf's fears.

"_**HELP ME!" she cried out in fear.**_

Tsume closed his eyes as her scream of terror echoed in his ears hauntingly and the feeling of helplessness came back to him.

"_**The red one. Is it her?" one asked.**_

"_**The chain says all. Lady Jagura said the one she sought would have a chain identical to her own pets'"**_

They had called her the 'red one' and mentioned her chain. That was all he had to go by, but it wasn't much. Why would they go after Akira? Kiba was the one with the strange connection Cheza, right? What did they gain by singling her out?

"I won't ask again!" an enraged voice hissed as the doors of the dungeon opened once more, "LET.US.GO.NOW!"

"Stop kick'n bitch!" a man yelped and Tsume could hear the sound of a boot coming in harsh contact with metal. Apparently who ever they were holding wasn't walking cooperatively and was fighting every step in the way.

"Heart?" Tsume rushed to the bars of his cell and tried as best as he could to get a good view of the new prisoners being dragged in.

As he had expected, the red eyed Heart had two men, one on either side of her holding her arms away from her and forcing her forward. Another man with a cable that was looped around her neck pulled forward to keep her off balance so she wouldn't be able to use her legs for anything other than staying upright somewhat. She snarled and flung herself about as best she could like a mustang roped and tied down to submission. Her fiery eyes blazed with fury and he had no doubt that given the chance, soon as they let her go, she'd hunt them down to the ends of the earth for retribution.

The men shoved her in the stall where the old woman was before next to the one where the human man curiously tried to watch as well, begging reverently for water again. Heart fell to the concrete floor, but didn't stay down for long. She whirled around and tried to get out of the bars just before they slid shut tight. She furiously banged against them.

"Let me go! Ah! You're hurting me!" Lauralai whimpered as another man held her arm behind her back while his other hand was wrapped painfully in her hair to ensure her compliance should she put as much fight out like the elder female. Another soldier opened Toboe's cell and used a static shock bar, using it like a tazer gun on the young wolf to keep him back while his comrade tossed Laura in by her hair, knocking her into Toboe's already sore body from the powerful shock the tazer dealt to him to hold him back.

"DON'T YOU DARE HURT HER!" Heart snapped vehemently as she gripped the bars of her cell.

One of the soldiers slammed his gun into her bars to shut her up, "Shut the fuck up you fuck'n whore! Or I'll send you to a premature death before lady Jagura has requested the spill of your hot blood!"

"You think that threat'll shut me up, dick weed?" Heart shot back and laughed sarcastically, "Come up with a better insult in that soldier camp you bastards go to where you fuck your women that have so many diseases, it doesn't matter what's growing in or out your little di-,"

"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!" the soldier cocked his rifle and aimed it at her. Tsume's heart stopped in fear.

"Stand down," another soldier gruffed to the enraged one who had his gun ready, "Jagura specifically ordered no killing wolves until night fall. We don't have time to waste with that bitch when Paradise is about to open."

The trigger happy soldier reluctantly powered down his weapon, "I'd have to clean up the mess anyways. Not worth my time"

"Is that what your whore tells you when she sees what a small man you are?" Heart shot back with a sultry voice to irk the man.

"WHY YOU-!"

"STAND DOWN!"

"BUT SHE-,"

"You can slit her throat at the banquet. How's that?" the soldiers were at the door now and the wolves didn't get to hear the rest of the conversation as the door slammed closed.

Heart was glaring at it when Tsume called out to her, "Heart, are you alright?"

Heart turned surprised to see Tsume in the cell diagonal of her, "I'm fine. They knocked me out when I turned a sharp corner. I woke up in the back of their truck on the way here and have been giving them shit ever since." She snorted in pride.

"You could have gotten yourself and Lauralai killed!" he snarled.

"Didn't you hear? They won't kill us anymore until night fall. I still have a few hours before they actually try to kill me in retaliation for what I said. No worries." Heart brushed off as if it were nothing.

Tsume rolled his eyes. Why oh why did he have to fall for the bitch that was suicidal and didn't give a damn about danger when it spat in the face. Did she run or defend herself? No- she spat back at it and drop kicked it in the face. Then she would run. Damn him for loving her for that spunk.

Heart turned her attention to the cell next to Tsume when Lauralai groaned and moved off the blushing Toboe, "Laura? Are you alive?"

"Alive-yes." Lauralai moaned, sitting up, "Alive and in pain." She rubbed the back of her head and stroked her burning scalp, "Felt like he was trying to scalp me with out the knife."

"You weren't electrocuted" Toboe wheezed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Toboe!" Lauralai was suddenly leaning over the young male peering over him to see if he would be alright, "I didn't mean to land on you like that! Are you okay?"

Toboe blushed at her closeness and scooted away from here to lean against the wall behind him. He couldn't look her in the eye and not blush even more, "N-no, you didn't hurt me."

Heart laughed at Laura's confused expression, "Leave him be, Laura. He's been electrocuted, remember?"

Laura looked back at Toboe worriedly, sighed, and then sat on the bench at the back of the cell, drawing her knees up to her chest, "How are we gonna get out of here?" Lauralai whispered.

"We'll find a way." Heart replied softly, "Cheza is still inside the keep somewhere. I can still smell her faintly from here."

"Cheza?" Hub coughed, "Are you guy's wolves too?"

Tsume tensed, "What of it?" he demanded.

"You're here for the flower maiden, Cheza right?"

"That's right." Laura quickly came up to the bars of the cage to look at the human man, "You know about Cheza?"

"Yes" Hub nodded, "I know about her and the book of the moon and their connection to wolves like you" he seemed mystified a moment, "So it really is true? Paradise?"

"Of course it's true." Heart quipped, "We're going there, aren't we? It's why the nobles like Jagura hunted our kind down. So they could find it too."

"Hey mister," Toboe spoke up as he approached Laura's side at the bars of their cell, "How come you're locked up in here, you're a human aren't you?" 

Hub grimaced, "If you're looking for Cheza, she's definitely here. I was with her when Jagura's troops raided the FreeCity convoy and brought with her here"

"She's really here then! It's not just Jagura's lure spell to trick us?" Laura gasped.

"They separated us before we got off the airship. I haven't seen her sense, but I know she's here." Hub admitted.

"Then that's it then" Heart snarled with renewed vigor as she banged her body against the bars full force again, "We have to get out of here!" she banged herself again against the bars in her wolf form, "We have to help CHEZA!"

Tsume snarled as well, feeling his wolf form flex as he shifted to it and also slammed himself bodily against the bars, "Sooner or later these things have to give!" he bit out between clenched teeth.

"Come on Laura" Toboe also shifted to wolf form as did Laura at his request and both of them slammed the bars one at a time in repeated succession.

Hub could only stare in disbelief as the wolves before him had renewed their broken spirits simply because he confirmed that Cheza was near.

"They… They're willing to lay down their lives for her" Hub could barely understand, "These wolves…" well what was he doing sitting here? If they were going to die, then he'd go down with a fight just like the wolves. With renewed strength, hub stood up and grasped the bars to yank them as hard as he could.

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Kiba could feel every muscle in his body strain with the pull he forced on them. The wounds he acquired from escaping the ambush of armored soldiers just after he was separated from Akira burned and he felt hot blood start to clot as his body desperately tried to heal itself while he climbed the spiral staircase one step at a time. It was only half way up that when he realized that most of the blood dripping wasn't his, so his wounds weren't that bad, but he still kept the steady pace. He couldn't stand going so slow when Akira and Cheza needed him now, but his body was too weak and it wouldn't do if he wore himself out to get to them and have no power to fight for them once he was there. He could tell they were close now. He felt the pull on his soul that Cheza had on him strengthened as her scent got stronger the higher he climbed up those stairs. He could smell Akira's wolfish musk mingled with her imprinted scent that nearly mirrored Cheza's own. That sweet alluring scent that he loved so much drove him on.

A wailing howl of sorrow echoed the staircase from somewhere above it. He was almost to the top now and stopped at the sudden sound almost startled. So far it had only been the hum of all the machines that made up the keep he'd heard, but this wail he knew was Akira. She was calling out for someone to help her. His heart stopped as he thought fleetingly that she may be hurt and in grave pain!

The white wolf stumbled as his feet took off with out a second thought. The blood started to dry on his fur, making it itch and burn as he went racing up the stairs now, shifting to his human form to shove the doors at the end of the stairway open. They were so heavy and he felt his muscles quiver in his arms, but he forced the door open to the dark room beyond. There was Cheza, sealed in an orbed capsule suspended in the air that was fed nutrients through the water that filled her. She was held up by golden chains from each wrist and one collar around her neck.

"Cheza!" he called, looking below the capsule for a way to get her out of it. His heart stopped when he saw who was below it. Akira mirrored Cheza's position in front of the capsule. A small metallic fence wrapped around below Cheza's capsule and the platform littered with white lunar flower petals decoratively. Unlike Cheza though, Akira had no liquid to ease the straining hold of the chains that held her up. She sat with her knees under her and her body leaning to the right while her arms were strained in a 'Y' shape above her head. A collar about her neck also held her head up and her eyes were closed. Kiba rushed forward and tried to reach her through the bars. Up close, he could see that she had been crying. Her cheeks were so damp and small tears still escaped under her long lashes in her sleep. Her small body shook and Kiba knew she was cold and afraid. A red silk scarf seemed like it had been used to blind her, but now it had loosened and hung over her collar.

"Akira" he said softly.

She didn't awaken.

Kiba held a hand through the bars and reached up to cup her cheek. He was only just barely able to reach her that far, but soon as his hand touched her skin, orange eyes snapped open and wide with a feral look in them.

Akira wrenched away from the sudden touch, fearing it was Jagura again, "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" she desperately cried out in fear.

"Akira," Kiba sounded hurt at her sudden violent move to get away from him, "Akira it's me! Kiba!"

Akira stopped her struggles to look down at him wide eyed and full of pent up fear. She truly was a caged animal struggling to survive. Her orange eyes started to tear up again as she now tried to get as close to him as she could with her restraints, "Kiba? Kiba, you have to get Cheza out of here! I'm so scared" she cried out, "I couldn't help her, Kiba, I'm so sorry, but I couldn't do anything"

"Shhh," Kiba soothed as he was able to stroke her hair now with both hands now that she was leaning as far as she could toward him and the bars that separated them. His movements were restrained by the bars, but he tried to touch her as best he could. His warm hand cupped her cheek again and she leaned into his touch as his thumb wiped away the tears he could reach, "I'll get you and Cheza out of here, I promise. It's my fault for letting you both get hurt." Her clear tears were turning light red from mixing with the dried blood on his finger tips, but neither cared at the moment.

Akira gave him a sad smile, "They haven't hurt me, Kiba, I'm just scared to death here" she attempted to lighten the mood, but his blue human eyes didn't lighten to laughter with hers. They were in pain. Her heart clenched in her chest as it felt suddenly so heavy for him.

"Akira…" he said softly, resting his forehead against the bars, "I'm so sorry I let this happen to you. Forgive me" he actually begged.

"Kiba," Akira desperately wanted to hug him to her. She wanted to hold him in her arms and reassure that things would work out, but she couldn't touch him. She was at a loss for words and what to do.

"Love is a beautiful thing to witness from the shadows. Especially when it is so strongly shown in abandonment" Jagura's sultry voice praised longingly from the shadows of the room behind Kiba.

Kiba turned around quickly and stood tall between the woman and Akira. He didn't have to see Akira's reaction behind him to know that this was the woman that was hurting her, if not physically, then emotionally. It was this woman who had put Akira in that cage. She who held Cheza from him in that capsule sphere just above Akira. He shifted to his wolf form despite Akira's protest behind him. He was going to enjoy spilling this woman's blood…

"The white wolf. How beautiful you truly are. Your heart already sings to the red moon. You've fallen for her?" she taunted as the noble approached them seemingly at ease.

Kiba shot forward, a blur of white fur as he attacked the noble with fangs bared and mouth wide. His claws actually itched to sink in to the woman's body as he cut her life's blood out of her.

An alchemic symbol flashed bright white under him and froze the wolf. Kiba fought valiantly to regain his body's strength as the dark magic of the circle pressed him down to his stomach, he could feel the weight of mountains on top him and snarled heatedly as the woman walked calmly pass him. She was so close that if he could move, he'd have torn her leg right off her, but alas he was pinned. He could do nothing as that hideous woman approached his Akira. From the corner of his golden eyes, he saw Akira in her wolf form as the restraints on her arms fell away and she was dropped to the floor of the platform with the white flowers rustling about her. The golden collar still attached to her neck as the red wolf struggled to stand again on shaky, unstable legs. Soon as orange eyes saw the gentle smile of the noble woman so close, she jerked away and huddled to the corner of her barred prison as far from Jagura as possible.

Akira's eyes widened when she felt liquid from the sphere tank above her holding Cheza dormant crack open slightly and drip the liquid down onto her. she whimpered and backed as far away as she could, pressing herself into the bars opposite of Jagura with a whine of fear only fearful pups used. The sound made Kiba's heart twist and he struggled in doubled effort to stand up once more and destroy what was making his beloved so afraid. He'd never seen her like this. It made the rabbit in the forest that they'd hunted before look calm just before they took that final leap to snap its spine. He could hear her heart pound inside her chest.

Jagura looked up to Cheza and held a hand to her tank that was fracturing all over by now and leaking water, "We shall have a celebration, you and I, Cheza, don't you think? A grand celebration to mark the carving of my paradise."

Kiba snarled louder and snapped his fangs, but the spell that held him did not let up.

"Take the white one away and prepare and clean him to drain his blood on the moon energy converter as the final act to the right of my paradise." Jagura commanded her manservant who waited patiently by the door.

He bowed, "Yes my lady."

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	26. Chapter 25 Blood Fordged Paradise

Chapter 25 Blood Forged Paradise

A/N- Thankyou all for allowing me to see just what it really was that you guys loved about this fanfic! It honestly really did inspire me when I was in a bit of a writers-block (eck, hate those)

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!

Acknowledgements:

Lucky(u reviewed at the same time I updated so I didn't see you until the last second!), Hellhound, Sabertooth, alvinfreak676, bloodymary, White Fang, Solarwind, CrismonTiger, howling1, gossip girl, Quickstrike, emilyruby, Prettykitty67, Wildcreature, froggy4543, stargirl, freakingod, AngelOfVengeance, Venom, sweetooth, Hybrid, wolfsbane, coldfire, freddbing323, RedFang, TheLeopardDemonNovelist, Aquamarine, Shurtugal, Dhole (lol, nice name), HottyKat, tigerjaw, Blackwidow, Emeraldragon, Vixie, WildKat, Furyguy, Amber, fannyone325, Carnage, ScarsofRemourse, (HOLY COW PATTIES THAT'S A LOT! It took me like 5 minutes just to copy and paste you all on here! Wow!)

3 reviews away from 200!! OMG!

(jumps up and down) calls for celebration…….! When I'm done with the reports that keep staking up….. shit!

It's only 2 more weeks of school for me and they still pile on the homework like there's no freaking tomorrow! Aaaaaaaaaaaaggh!

Chapter 25 Blood Forged Paradise

It was dark now; the gates of Jagura's Keep were closing down as the soldiers who took watch stood formally to greet noble guests who were invited to witness the opening of Jagura's paradise. Nearly all the guests with their masked faces had already arrived Jagura's masquerade and all was quite now as the last high and fancy carriage car drove away as it had dropped off the nobles it had brought. The soldiers stood as statues, not moving as the dusk darkened to night and the faint sounds of the party inside drifted through the many hallways just inside the doorway.

Cher peered from where she hid behind a building near the entrance of Jagura's keep, wandering just how she was going to get inside there. She knew she couldn't get pass the soldiers. These were Jagura's hand picked men who were the best of the best of her warriors to guard her. The blond haired woman sighed as she leaned against the wall.

"What am I going to do?" let out a breath. She quickly sucked air back into her lungs in surprise when she saw the dark figure of Darcia masked as always and had a strange fancy hat full of raven feathers. His black cloak covered the rest of his body from the high collar of it at his neck and down. At his side, the silver wolf she knew as Jasper walked dutifully step for step as if he were chained to the man's leg. The chain about his neck clinked softly with each step.

The soldiers ahead of them turned to address them in alarm at the uninvited guest that approached arrogantly unarmed. The wolf at his side snarled as Darcia's power zinged in the air with the high pitched noise that only harmed whom he wanted it to and made the men fall unconscious before they knew what was going on. Jasper still had a snarled curl to his upper lip as they approached the fallen bodies of soldiers.

"W-Wait! Darcia!" Cher called out.

Darcia turned to her, regarding her determined face coldly as Jasper stood at his side with no expression what so ever. He could tell what she was going to do before she even came near him.

"Will you follow me into the darkness?" he asked cryptically.

"You're going to take back Cheza aren't you?" she asked.

He turned and walked on, ignoring her, but giving her the choice to either leave or follow.

"Hey, wait!" she called after him, catching up to fall in step behind him.

"I can only lead you there. Once inside, you're protection is on your own shoulders" Darcia warned as they walked into the dark keep that eerily echoed with music inside.

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"Welcome to the dawning of a new era! The doors of Jagura's paradise shall open tonight and be unleashed upon the entire world!" Jagura announced gloriously.

The people around her dressed with masked faces and fancy clothes costing each a fortune cheered and clapped in succession. They all praised Jagura's brilliance and she bathed in it. 

"Come, let us dance!" she started to twirl around and around seeming to have the time of her life like a small child would. The beat of the music flowed over her audience and they too started to twirl with her. All seeming under the glorious sleep of eternal happiness Jagura's paradise promised. Their Hearts sung out for the joy of even the thought as they danced in wait for the time to come for the doors of paradise to open finally.

In the center of the grand ball room flourished in red silken attire, the sphere capsule containing Cheza lay in the middle as the flower slumbered inside. Just under her was the chained red wolf that lay on her side exhaustedly on the platform underneath the flower maiden. Lunar flowers were strewn all over her and her cage of golden bars. The golden chain to her gold collar clinked with every movement she made.

Akira could only watch in a defeated mourn as she lay on her side. Her body felt too weak to even try and stand anymore as the nobles peered at her as if she were in a zoo. They all praised Jagura on such a beautiful pet she had found to open up paradise for her, but Akira barely heard them. She felt her self sink deeper and deeper into depression.

_**Akira,… Akira, why do you mourn?**_ Cheza asked.

_I have lost, Cheza. I have failed you._ Akira answered with out opening her eyes.

_**No, Akira, you have not lost. This one still loves you and is proud of you for being so strong for this one. We will still go to paradise together.**_ Cheza reassured.

_How can you say something like that at a time like this? There's nothing I can do to stop her from using you. I can barely stand up anymore- I feel so drained, Cheza._ Akira felt herself start to tear up again.

_**Do not cry, Akira. There is no reason for you to shed tears of sorrow. If you feel so drained, this one wants to revitalize you once more.**_ Cheza offered, _**Sing with me, Akira. Chase away your fear.**_

_I… I can't, Cheza._

_**Please, Akira. Please try.**_

Akira felt her front paws shift to touch the platform solidly under them and her body shift to press herself up. She was only able to get so far before she fell into the flowers in a weak heap.

_Cheza, I'm too weak to even stand._

_**You do not need to stand to sing. Sing with this one.**_

Akira heard the gentle, sad song of Cheza humming inside her head. It was so sad and so alone that it made Akira's heart break. Cheza seemed so fragile to her. More so then usual.

"Che-Cheza" she whispered out loud.

"And now," Jagura announced, "I have a treat for you all. My pet, Diya, shall sing one of her beautiful lullabies to the flower maiden." Jagura held a hand out and the spotlight shone on a tall, beautiful woman with long snow white hair and beautiful green eyes. She was dressed in red silk, like the room around her. Her hair pulled back from her face and a familiar chain adorning her neck.

Akira hazily watched the woman through the bars as the approached Jagura's side. Her heart calling out in recognition, but Akira didn't know why. Who was this woman? Why did she make her feel so strange and… apart of her?

Diya fought with herself not to breakdown and cry at the poor sight of Akira caged and chained with that wretched golden collar beneath poor Cheza. They looked like sacrificial offerings. She hadn't seen Akira since she was just a pup, and she could tell that she had grown into a beautiful young wolf resembling her so much. Those dulled orange eyes never left her as she took in a deep breath and began to sing.

_Little child be not afraid,_

_The rain pounds hard against the glass_

_Like an unwanted stranger,_

_There is no danger_

_I am here tonight_

Akira's eyes started to open wider and her vision cleared at that oh so familiar voice. She felt like a pup again when she heard the melodious voice drift to her.

_Little child be not afraid_

_The thunder explodes and lightning flash_

_Illuminates,_

_Your tear stained face_

_And I am here tonight_

_Someday you'll know _

_That nature is so _

_The same rain that draws in the ending_

_Falls in rivers of land_

_And forests of sound_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning_

Diya watched as her daughters wolf form started to stir once more. She could tell that the girl recognized her and she locked her green gaze with her orange one to try and tell her silently how sorry she was that this was happening to her.

_Little child, be not afraid_

_The storm clouds mask our beloved moon_

_And its candle light beams_

_Still keep pleasant dreams_

_I am here tonight._

_Little child be not afraid_

_The wind makes creatures of our trees_

_And the branches to hands _

_Things that we'll understand_

_And I am here tonight_

_So Someday you'll know _

_That nature is so _

_The same rain that draws in the ending_

_Falls in rivers of land_

_And forests of sound_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning_

_You know, _

_Once even I was a_

_Little child _

_And I was afraid_

……

Jagura raised her head to the door when someone new entered the room, "He comes" she smiled warmly as her long lost love, Darcia stepped through with Cher behind him and a sandy blond young man at his side with mismatched colored eyes. Diya's voice suddenly stopped singing; But Jasper took it upon himself to finish the last few verses of the lullaby.

_But a gentle someone always came. To dry all my tears_

_To sweet sleep the fears _

_And to give a kiss good night_

Diya found her voice once more and started to sing again with her son as Darcia stepped in one foot fall at a time. With each step of the daunting noble, the guest all around Jagura and Diya fell to the ground.

_Well now I am grown _

_And these years have shown_

_The rain's apart of how life goes_

_But it's dark and it's late_

_So I'll hold you and wait_

_Till your frightened eyes do close_

_And I'll hope that you'll know_

_That nature is so_

_The same rain that draws in the ending_

_Falls in rivers of land_

_And forests to sound_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning_

_Everything's fine in the morning_

_The rain'll be gone in the morning_

_But we'll still be here in the morning……."_

"So you have returned for me. I knew you would come." Jagura's smiled warmly and inviting to Darcia, "I have been waiting for you for so long."

Darcia walked until he was facing her. they stood there a moment to take one another in. his black gloved hand arose to take hold of his mask and let it fall to the floor before him, revealing his long blue-black hair to her view and the blue human eye that matched Jasper's at his side and the golden bald wolf eye.

Diya stood at Jagura's side and bent her head down, not wanting to look her adopted son in the eye. she didn't know that he had shared the same fate as being tied to a noble like Darcia and Jagura as her, but she knew he had it so much worse than her. Darcia had a hold of her poor son's will while Jagura merely black mailed and used spells to restrain and force Diya to submission. She could feel Jasper's eyes on her as he took in the woman he had once called mother and she felt the pang of betrayal he must feel for what she had done to him- to Sasuke… to Akira….

Jagura also removed her helmet and shook her long, thigh length blond yellow hair. She opened violet eyes to gaze into her beloveds face.

"I never thought I'd ever see that face in my life time ever again" Darcia said with his dark and dreary tone.

"Yes, the face of my dear twin sister you loved, Homena," Jagura seemed to have mirth in her tone as she mentioned the other woman she personally murdered through Diya's body.

"You murdered your own sister- you're true blood" Darcia's voice sharpened in the memory of her bloody corpse in his arms once more.

"You know as well as the rest of us that she was gone that day. Yet it was you who held on to last hopes and slivers of feeble promises of her return." Jagura said, "I freed you from the grasp of a dead woman." Jagura's gaze held steady with Darcia's, "We were only alike in face and body. If Homena was the light, then I was the shadow." She had a far off look to her face, making her look serene in reminiscence, "And I was content with that so long ago." She returned her glare on Darcia, "But then you appeared into our lives, and thrust us into turmoil. I have done all that I accomplished, all of it, for you, my beloved. Always and only for you, Darcia the third." She held out her hand, "Come to me, let us dance."

Cher had stayed low as she crept around the nobles and their wolves at their sides. She had inched herself near the wall to keep herself from being noticed and made her way to Cheza, realizing that when she got there, Akira was also there as well, chained like a beaten animal inside a cage blow Cheza with lunar flowers strewn through out her prison cell.

"What have they done to you two?" she whispered.

Akira tensed up and Cher could tell that the poor female wolf had to struggle to stand, but she did, none the less, and looked weakly, but determinedly at Cher in the eyes. Her orange eyes seemed cold at first, but then softened to their puppy-like warmth Cher always associated with the wolf.

"Akira?" she asked softly.

"What are you…" Akira surprised the woman when she talked to her in wolf form, "What are you doing here?"

"Don't worry; I'm here to get you two out." Cher reassured looking up at Cheza worriedly, "She's withering- it must be the water, I'll have to hurry and get her out."

"Not withering" Akira's soft, feeble voice was starting to gain strength behind it, "She's starting to bloom."

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Hub had long ago sat down, his body exhausted from trying to fight his way out, but the four wolves around him slammed relentlessly into the bars that held them captive. He watched them blankly, unable to do much else. His eyes wandered upward to the now flickering lights. The red orb-like lights above each cell flickered in time with the lights.

"Power outage?" Hub whispered, "But I thought there was some banquet or something going on."

The lights stayed off for a second longer as Tsume slammed himself against his cell. The bars shifted, opening a fraction, but they slammed shut again when lights flickered back on.

All the wolves stopped and looked at Tsume's cell in surprise.

"It… it actually moved?" Heart blinked in disbelief.

"That means they must be weakening" Tsume smirked, "Let's get the hell outta here!" The four of them smashed into their bars with bruising force now since they had evidence that it was finally doing some damage.

Hub noticed a pattern in the way the gates worked in connection to the electric surges going on, "They're… electric?" he stood up to address the wolves, "These locks are electric!" Tsume was the only visible one of the wolves to Hub, so all he got for an answer was a strange look saying 'what the hell are you saying?'

"The locks on these things are electric powered. That's why it moved when you slammed it during the time the power was out and it slammed back when it came back on. If you throw your bodies against the bars when the light goes out again, you should be able to get out!"

"It's worth a try." Heart said beside him, just give us the queue and well do it."

"Alright then, ready?" Hub held up his hand and Tsume tensed up, ready to jolt forward on his mark. The lights flickered, "Now!"

The wolves slammed against the bars. This time, all of them moved before quickly slamming back into place as the lights flickered on again.

"One more time!" Hub rooted, "Just one more try! I know you guys can pull this off, on my mark, ready….?" He held up his hand, watching the way the lights flickered. As soon as it was dark again, he shouted out, "NOW!"

Tsume slammed the bars with all his might and this time, they stayed open.

"Hey, it worked!" Lauralai clapped her hands in the cell next to Tsume.

"We can get out of here!" Toboe chimed in.

"Hey, don't forget the rest of us," Heart pouted at Tsume.

The lights flickered on, and then blacked out.

"What just happened?" Toboe looked around in the darkness, feeling the way Laura clung to his arm nervously.

"I hate the dark" she whimpered.

Tsume grasped the bars with his hands and heaved his door open enough for him to get out. Once out, he froze as someone turned on the back up breaker and the lights surged. He was surprised to see Hige walking up to them.

"Well now, I go through all that trouble just to save you and it turns out you don't need my help to escape." The brown haired youth joked.

"HIGE! IT'S REALLY YOU!" Toboe gasped happily as Hige pressed the release button on his cell's control case. Toboe rushed over to Hige while Lauralai released Heart.

"I was starting to get cabin fever in there." Heart grumbled.

"I'm so happy you're not dead!" Toboe hugged the boy who he felt was his own older brother.

"Yeah, I made it out alright, I guess." Hige had a detached tone to his usually bubbly voice.

"Hige, what's wrong?" Heart asked.

"So what do you plan on doing with us now? Take us to Jagura so she can finish us?" Tsume accused, "Didn't you lure us here for that reason?"

"I don't know" Hige denied sharply.

"Damn well you don't" Tsume bit back, "What about that collar? What happened to it? Did Jagura take it off you as payment for bringing us here?"

"I said I don't know, okay!" Hige snapped back, "The collar was taken off, yes, but not by Jagura!"

"TRAITOR!" Tsume snapped.

"Tsume, lighten up will ya?" Heart reprimanded the gray wolf as she approached his side, just in case she had to hold him back from Hige.

"If that's what you really think I am, then kill me!" Hige dared angrily.

Tsume just glared at him and Heart actually felt scared that he just might grant Hige's wish.

Hige's eyes softened on Tsume as Heart tried to calm him down. Lauralai hid behind Toboe at Hige's side, "Please, I mean it"

"You're trying to tell me you don't know what the hell is going on?" Tsume bit back, still not trusting him.

"It's complicated." Hige said. He turned his back to them, "Things are getting really crazy really fast around here. You should be able to escape right now through all the confusion of the city if you leave now." Hige said as he walked off.

"And just where are you going?" Tsume growled.

"There's something I have to do. Go on and forget about me." Hige said sadly.

"Hige, what's the matter, this isn't like you." Toboe said softly with worry lacing his voice and eyes as he watched his friend give them the cold shoulder and leave.

"Like me?" Hige stopped, "just what's that supposed to mean? Like me? I don't even know who that is." Hige left them staring at his back.

Heart growled in frustration and jogged after him as the door closed.

"Heart!" Tsume barked out.

"We can't just let him rush to his death like an idiot!" she snapped back, "We've gotta help him! Common Laura, Toboe. We can still catch him!"

"Right!" the younger wolves shot after her, leaving Tsume alone with the human.

"Aren't you going after them?" Hub asked curiously.

Tsume looked back down at the man sitting on the floor of the cell, watching him with curious eyes. He regarded the human for a moment and snorted, pressing the release button on his cell and then dashed off to catch up to the others.

Hub just watched him leave in a hazed stupor that he was actually free.

"Well I'll be damned- Wolves" He sighed and got up.

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_**Kiba… Kiba.. Can you hear this one?**_

'_Cheza!' _Kiba called back.

_**Kiba, this one wants you to watch over Akira. This one is withering. She feels a paradise opening….**_

Her voice was so weak.

'_Cheza! NO! Stay with us! Just stay with me!' _

A flash of sad orange eyes flickered before him and Kiba found renewed strength. She was crying. Both of them were crying!

"AKIRAAAAA!" he screamed out as he tore the restraints off him. He didn't feel any pull from them in his determination. He raised his head to the heavens and let loose his wolf's cry.

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Akira's eyes snapped open wide. She convulsed in pain as the white lightning of it shot through her body, "AAAAAHH!" she gasped out.

"Akira!" Jasper looked to her, Darcia's hold tightened on him so the silver wolf couldn't move to help his sister.

Diya whirled around to aid her daughter instinctively, but Jagura's spell held her in place, "STOP IT!" Diya pleaded with the noble woman, "SHE'S IN PAIN"

"It will not last long, her blood is merely heating as the moon calls forth my paradise." Jagura said softly, not looking away from Darcia.

The water from Cheza's tank was drained, leaving the maiden only held up by her golden restraints like Akira was.

A howl sounded through Akira's ears. The wolf inside her acted upon instinct and howled back, trying to find a release from the hot pain inside her as she felt her blood boil hotter and hotter.

"What's happening to her!" Jasper demanded as he saw his sister start to pulse with a red light.

"Paradise is using her blood to open the gates." Jagura smiled as she approached Darcia, ignoring the agonized screams of pain Akira screamed out loud. She hugged the unmoving nobleman, "Come, let us follow the path to Paradise"

A blinding white light engulfed them all and Cher felt the breath literally leave her lungs. Her body shut down as she fell to the floor by an unseen force. Her eyes blacked out soon as she hit the floor.

"YES!" Jagura cried out as if in pleasure, "DON'T FIGHT IT, LET THE PAIN RIDE YOU AND LET IT OPEN THE GATES I CAN SEE THEM!"

Their whole world blacked out.

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Akira woke to the sound of birds chirping. The scent of lunar flowers tickled her nose as long green grass pillowed her where she lay on her side. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up. Her body felt very heavy and she found that she couldn't move anymore than sitting up and looking around.

"Where… where am I?" she looked around and gasped when she recognized the scenic view that she'd seen before in the false paradise with Kiba in the desert, "Am I in… am I back at the lost soul paradise?"

A gentle laugh of a woman startled her. She turned quickly to see Jagura in a white robe dancing amongst the flowers around her near a clear, beautiful lake. She was dancing hand in hand with Darcia. Just beyond them was a glorious white marble castle. A sculpted water fountain at its front while a waterfall flowed from the drifts up stream.

"Isn't it wonderful my love? You have everything you ever wanted right here." Jagura smiled serenely at the man in front of her with a wolfs eye gazing down at her, "We can live in peace finally for eternity to come, my beloved. Just you and me…"

"A fabricated paradise…" Darcia's voice had never sounded so resigned and so sad to Akira, "Such a place, holds no future."

"But what of your grandfather? He too created a world only for the nobles, just as I have done for you, my love. Is that so wrong?" Jagura asked softly.

Akira felt her wolf form take over her and found that for some reason she could move now freely. When she was human, it was like invisible chains held her down. She stayed low in the grass and watched the nobles dance in awe of the beauty around her she didn't understand.

"What's going on, where am I?" she looked around. A flicker in her vision caught her eye. She studied Darcia closer and saw that his body was flickering. It confused her that from where she stood, he looked like a hologram, but to Jagura, she was able to touch and feel him as if he were really there. It certainly sounded like Darcia.

"That man cared only for himself. He thought nothing of those he left behind." Darcia's voice hardened, "That's why he vanished."

Akira's ears perked suddenly as the change in Darcia's voice happened again. This time, it sounded more like…, "Kiba?" now she really was confused.

Was Kiba concealed as Darcia in this world to get to Jagura or something?

"What's going on? This doesn't make any sense!" the young she wolf sighed to herself. She felt a throb start at the back of her head, but ignored it for now.

"Such a world created by something so false cannot exist" Kiba's voice laced tighter with Darcia's own deep one, but Jagura seemed not to notice. She only had eyes for Darcia.

"Liar" she chuckled, "You've been deceiving yourself from the very beginning. You refuse what's offered to you willingly when what you've longed for is all here right before you eyes."

"It is meaningless." Darcia said. Neither Noble took their eyes off one another as they danced gracefully in the meadow with Akira hiding in the tall grass just beyond them.

"Because of Homena?" she chuckled, "You are not so blind. That eye, your blood, you know what they're for. They have longed for paradise and here it is."

Darcia stopped dancing and the fur on Akira's neck stood on end ominously. He stepped back away from Jagura.

"You're wrong" there was no hint of Darcia any longer. Kiba's voice was what now spoke to the startled noble woman, "This is not paradise."

Jagura backed away, "Who are you? What trickery is this?" a long silver sword appeared in her hand as she held it threateningly at 'Darcia', "Show yourself!"

Darcia's image faded and in its place, Kiba now stood. His blue eyes glaring at Jagura, "You have violated that which my kind holds dear to us! I cannot let you live knowing the sins you have caused!" he snarled.

"STAY OUT OF MY WAY!" Jagura snarled, raising the sword just as Kiba reverted to his wolf form.

Akira didn't think as she shot forward and leapt into the air. Her jaws wide as they snapped down on Jagura's arm with the sword in her hand, forcing Jagura to drop the sword. Jagura cried out in pain and backed away, clutching her hand to her chest as blood flowed from it and stained her white gown. Her lavender eyes looked up in angered horror when she saw that not only was she dealing with a white wolf, but the red as well.

"Wolves!" she gasped and gritted her teeth, "MURDEROUS BEASTS! DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!"

She picked up the sword once more and threw it at Akira. Kiba deflected it away from its path by swiping it with his claws and then leaped up at the surprised Jagura and clamped his teeth on her jugular. The noble woman gasped and screamed in pain.

Akira's headache lightning bolted into the hot pain before as the world around them started to collapse. The false paradise was too unstable to hold together with the wolves' interference.

Akira howled out in pain and all went black once more.

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A sharp scream woke Akira up. She bolted to her feet gasping for breath. It felt like she hadn't been breathing until just then. She looked for the source of the scream and found Jagura holding her neck where Kiba's imprint of his teeth still marred her ivory skin, but no blood was flowing. On her wrists, Akira could see a tare where her own teeth had snagged through in the other paradise.

"It's over" Darcia said calmly, "You're paradise has been destroyed."

"Pitiful BLACK HEART!" she screamed, drawing her sword from its sheath and driving it into his chest.

Darcia's eyes widened in pain as he grasped the sword and hunched over. Jasper at his side screamed in pain and fell to his knees, holding his hand over his chest where an identical wound sliced through his chest.

"Jasper!" Diya cried out as she fell to his side, trying to help him, but feeling very helpless as he grimaced and groaned in pain.

Darcia tore the blade from out of him and felt his knees weaken. His eyes sight started to blur and he felt as if he couldn't grasp any of his senses correctly.

The pain inside Akira started to escalate until she saw white. She howled out, startling Cher to reawaken once more. The blond woman looked up to see Cheza still hung from her binds, but there was no water any longer.

"Cheza!" Cher stood up and quickly programmed the machine to release her. Cheza fell limply into the pile of lunar flowers where Akira was raging inside. Cher was hesitant to go inside, afraid that Akira may not recognize her and attack, but the wolf stilled when Cheza fell. Her body trembled with pent up energy that burst through her as she tried to fight off the unseen force of the pain.

Cher carefully slid through the bars and took Cheza in her arms, keeping a watchful eye on the maddened red wolf just a few feet away trembling and panting in exhaustion, "Cheza, are you alright?"

Cher noticed Cheza's lips moving, but nothing was coming out. She leaned her head forward and held her ear to Cheza's lips so she could hear the whisper. What the flower said was enough to make the woman cry, "I know, I know Cheza" she sobbed, "I saw it too, but that wasn't it. That wasn't paradise"

Akira howled again. Her usually light voice in her wolf form lowered from the pain she was feeling and sent chills up Cher's spine, "Cheza, cant you save her?" she asked the flower.

Cheza's ruby eyes slowly searched for where Akira lay. She swallowed tentatively before calling out. Cher was unable to hear the maiden's voice, but Akira did. The red wolf stood still and didn't even so much as breath until she heard Cheza's voice again in that soft pain filled whisper.

"Akira," she called, "Akira, you are in so much pain."

"I can't tell what's wrong, why do I feel this way?" Akira whimpered as her joints gave out and she fell in a huff of lunar flowers.

"Come to me, Akira, I'll heal your blood." Cheza whispered.

Cher watched with baited breath as the red wolf, foaming at the mouth, stood once again and made her way staggeringly to them and laid her head upon Cheza's chest. Cheza stroked the fur around Akira's eyes, humming a soft tune Cher could barely make out, but it seemed to calm Akira. Cher could see the way the wolf's muscles underneath all that red fur tensed and then relaxed. The wolf let out a grateful sigh.

Suddenly, the red wolf shifted forms to the young woman Cher recognized, but didn't say anything about it, "Thank you Cheza" Akira said softly.

"Kiba will come, Akira." Cheza said softly with a smile, "The others will come. You don't have to fight alone any longer"

"Why…" Jagura said in sorrow, "Why have you done this, Darcia?"

Darcia panted as he tried to ignore the pain. He stood ready to fight the woman if she chose to attack.

"Why do you love her and not me!" Jagura drew another silver sword and thrust its blade upon Darcia. Darcia blocked it with his own and shoved her back as best he could. She came back twice as fierce. He once again shoved her away and backed up, trying to put some distance between them to buy his time.

Jagura stood a moment. Her violet eyes narrowed, then softened to mirror the way her sister used to look upon him, "I love you Darcia" her voice was soft and airy. It made Darcia's heart pound at the voice of his deceased lover.

"It's alright," Jagura continued her charade, "Come to me, come to paradise."

"St-Stop it!" Darcia gritted out. The sword dropped from his hand as the nauseous feeling returned from when he tore the blade from his chest. He fell to his knees as Jagura chuckled, still imitating her dead sister's voice.

"That's right my love, the sword was poisoned," Jagura chuckled, "A simple messenger of my gift for death. Now you will belong to me," she grinned sultrily as she approached him, "Forever."

She watched sadly as Darcia fell to the floor, the paralyze poison wrecked havoc on his body and he was unable to move as Jagura raised her blade for the final blow.

A sharp snarl tore through the air. Jagura turned in time to see Jasper barreling at her in rage, "I almost forgot about you." she smirked and sidestepped his fanged attack. Jasper bent low to turn sharply and attack again from behind and at close range. His right front leg slipped on the floor beneath him and the effects of the poisonous blade that struck Darcia surged through him and locked up his body. Jagura kicked him away in his moment of weakness, "Stay down like your master, dog!" she snapped.

Once again, another wolf attacked her this time. A large brown wolf- Hige. He was able to take her by surprise and wounded a deep cut in her cheek. Jagura righted herself after her shock that she was under attack yet again. She twisted around in time to defend herself from Hige's second attack. She held her sword at the ready as he landed and then threw it at him.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" she snapped.

Hige cried out as the sword pinned him to the floor, the blade piercing his left shoulder.

"HIGE!" Heart called as she and the others made it up in time to see Hige pinned to the ground and the blood oozing out of him. Hige let loose a pained wail.

Cheza started to shake with fear with in Cher's arms. Akira stood in front of them protectively with wide eyes at what had happened to Hige.

"DIYA!" Jagura called as Tsume and Heart started to attack her in retribution for hurting Hige.

Before either wolf could get to the noble, the agile part-wolf cut them off, using her speed to surprise them and cut into their legs, stalling Heart and Tsume. The two wolves snarled and turned on her while Diya led them away from Jagura.

Lauralai held down Hige while Toboe took out the blade in his back. Hige started to rise again.

"Hey! Don't try to move, you'll die!" Laura gasped.

"I can't give up yet!" Hige gritted out as he tried to stand, "I- I promised to make things right!"

"HIGE STOP IT!" Toboe begged as he and Laura tried to hold him down.

Hige rose to all fours and snarled at Jagura, "I gave… I gave my word!"

"My paradise is not dead yet! It can never die!" Jagura snarled out, "I can carve it out of this very world if I have to! The blood of the red moon will suffice!" she turned to Akira.

A white blur tore through the room and when Jagura looked again, there was Kiba, snarling deadly up at her as he stood between Akira and the noblewoman.

"What are you doing here?" Jagura hissed, stepping back, "GET OUT!"

"Paradise is ours, and we're taking it BACK!" Kiba shot forward into action and attacked the noble woman.

Diya could feel every wound that Jagura felt. She bit back a surprised whimper at that discovery, never knowing that Jagura had made a blood bond to her just like Darcia had with Jasper. With how Kiba tore into the woman and the blood loss Jagura was fighting with, it made since now that Jagura had used her link to Diya to stay alive if it should come to this. It also proved to be the reason Jagura was able to even see paradise. She had to have wolf blood with in her and she had used Diya to get it.

She looked to where the alchemic circle flashed under Heart and Tsume. She didn't wish to hurt them, so she didn't put any pain inside the circle. She only wanted them out of the way. She watched their eyes glare at her as they were frozen inside, unable to move. The look of betrayal- something she had lived all her life with.

"I'm so sorry for what I have done to all of you." she whispered sadly, "I wish to repent for that. Accept my apologies with my death, but please understand, I only hold you with in that circle so you don't get in my way." With that said she turned to approach Darcia and Jasper.

She approached Darcia's limp form and held out her hand. If Jagura could use her, than she could use Jagura. An Alchemic symbol appeared on his chest, "With thy pure of heart and willing soul, thou shall be healed" she commanded. The chest wound healed over on the noble man as well as her son. Darcia looked up at her surprised that she had saved him. Her sad green eyes teared up.

"Why did you save my life?" he asked.

Diya looked to her son, "It was not you who I intended to save." She said coldly, "Jagura can only die if her heart is pierced. I am her heart." Diya pulled back her shirt to expose the left side of her chest, just on top her breast "Kill me and kill the witch who has stolen my soul from me."


	27. Chapter 26 Into the Snow we Go!

Chapter 26- Wolf's Pain

A/N- the last chapter got a record of reviews! The most reviews for any single chapter I've ever done! It must have been suspenseful, ne? lol

Anyways, I just wanted to make a shout out that my dearly loved mother finally graduated with her masters' degree she's worked for so hard this past Thursday, and I'm just too proud of her to let that go unnoticed! CONGRATES TO MOTHER AND ANYONE ELSE WHO HAPPENED TO GRADUATE ANYTHING!

Personally, I only graduate Highschool next year. In 2008-2009 semester of highschool, I'll be a Senior, finally!! I'm already 18! It's about time I'm in the grade my age says I should be in! (has an early birth day so is usually eldest, yet shortest in class with 5'1" height… irony, no? lol)

Acknowledgements:

Hybrid, gossipgirl, FangsofFury, blackpanther, Shadow (U ROCK!!), Wildcreature, QueenofSpades, Venom, CrismonTiger, alvinfreak676, HottyKat, emilyruby, Hellhound, Carnage, tigerjaw, Vixie, Solarwind, RedFang, coldfire, froggy4543, White Fang, Blackwidow, Amber, howling1, Sabertooth, stargirl, Quickstrike, Prettykitty67, TheLeopardDemonNovelist, lucky, Aquamarine, Emeraldragon, Shurtugal, freakingod, wolfsbane, ScarsofRemourse, sweetooth, Furyguy, bloodymary, fannyone325 (is that everyone? I don't ever wanna miss posting someone who reviewed, I just hate to be that cruel not to acknowlege you all, since you really do brighten my day when I read how much u guys like it!)

BTW- for anyone who has seen 1000 B.C the movie in theaters, I finally got to go see that and man did that movie do a good job! A lot of my friends said it was lame, but I personally give it thumbs-up

On with the chap!!

Chapter 26 in to the Snow we Go

Kiba didn't understand why this woman wasn't dieing. He had inflicted multiple wounds upon her that should have killed the human woman, but she would not fall to her knees. She would not die! He snarled as he dodged another of her attacks. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tsume and Heart frozen in place. Toboe and Lauralai were trying to hold down Hige, but the large brown wolf was having none of it. And then he saw Akira, standing over Cher and Cheza to protect them, though he could see the fear in her eyes with all the gruesome blood flying about between him and Jagura.

Jagura laughed again as Kiba's teeth snagged into her shoulder, "You cannot kill me! I will never die by the clutches of you or your filthy breed!" she snarled, her sword bit into his flesh. Kiba hissed and leaped away from her range. Panting to catch his breath and gage her next movements as he stood still, watching her every move.

"You will die eventually, human!" he snarled.

"But I cannot!" Jagura cackled back, "Someone such as you cannot hope to kill me"

Kiba leaped at her again, his teeth bit into her neck where a fatal artery was. He landed behind her, still with in her range. Jagura smirked at such a fault on his part. He left his back wide open for attack. The woman raised her blade to strike down on him when a large brown wolf lunged on her back. His weight shoved her down as his teeth and claws bit into her. She threw him off, knocking him against his already fatal wound, "I SAID STAY OUT OF THIS!" she cried out. Kiba's jaws tore at her throat and winced when her blade sliced into him again.

"I told you," Jagura hissed, throwing him off her, "You cannot kill me!"

She felt dizzy from all the twisting and turning. She felt her back fall against someone hard and looked back to see Darcia. She couldn't believe he was still alive, but she was so happy to see him. Her heart beat only for him, her love, "Darcia…" she whispered.

"Your heart will beat no more" he said gravely.

"Darcia, do not speak of such things" she said softly, "My heart only beats for you my love. For you"

"Then I shall drive a stake into your heart so it shall beat no more" Darcia pulled Diya from behind him, a dagger in his other hand.

Jagura at first was confused, but then she saw the determined look in Diya's eyes- she knew! The little bitch knew that Jagura had made a blood bond with her!

"Darcia!" Jagura pleaded, "DON'T!"

Jasper woke up to the sound of his mother's screams of pain and Jagura's own wail that tangled with hers in the air. His eyes snapped open just in time to see Darcia drive the silver dagger into Diya's heart. The man let Diya sag in his arms, gently guiding her to the floor at his feet.

"Your debt has been repaid." Darcia said softly to the dieing she-wolf, "Paradise accepts you as you are and forgives your sins"

Diya smiled up at him, "Thank you." she sighed, drawing in her last few breaths as Jasper rushed to her side and threw Darcia out of his way, not caring that the noble could take his life just for shoving him as he knelt down to his mother.

"DIYA!" he gasped, "Hold on! Cheza can heal you, mom! Just hold on!" Jasper quickly looked up to find Cheza, "CHEZAAA!" he cried out.

Cheza looked away and hid her face within Cher's embrace, "Go to them, Akira." She whispered.

Akira slowly approached her brother where he mourned over their fallen mother. She stood at his side at a loss for words. She didn't even know who this woman was. She hesitated before kneeling down next to him.

"There's nothing Cheza can do for me now" Diya said softly, "I gave up the right to hold Cheza dear to me when I sold my soul to that woman."

"But she's gone now, right? You're free of her now" Akira said softly.

Diya looked up to Akira warmly. Her hand shook as she reached up to cup Akira's face, "Akira, you have grown so much. I'm proud of who you have become. I am so sorry for what I did to you and Jasper, especially when you were so young."

Akira's eyes widened. Her hand reached up to hold Diya's cold one to her cheek, "M-mom?" tears welled up in her eyes, "Mother? Pleas don't leave me now that I know who you are, mother! Please!"

"I am so, so, sorry, Akira, but I cannot stay here." Diya took in heavy breaths now. Jasper laid his head on her stomach, hiding his tears, "Do not mourn over me, my children. We'll meet again. Promise me you'll find paradise. There, you will see me and your father and step-mother again."

"I promise," Akira nodded, sobbing back the tears, "I'll see you in paradise. I promise" she whispered.

Diya smiled up at them and took in a deep breath that she never exhaled.

"She… she's gone" Jasper said softly, he gripped his mothers cloths tightly before whirling on Darcia, but Darcia was gone. He had left them.

"DARCIA!" he howled.

The tower around them shook dangerously. Kiba looked around them nervously and called out for all to hear him, "IT'S COMING DOWN! EVERY ONE GET OUT!" he shouted.

He ran toward Akira and Jasper, scooping Akira up in his arms, much to her protest, "No, Kiba! Get Cheza!"

"I've got her!" Jasper said quickly as he darted over to where Cher sat with Cheza and gently took the flower in his arms, "You should get out of here while you can." He said to Cher.

Cher nodded, "Take care of her" she said with fierce eyes, "Find paradise"

"With my life" Jasper promised.

Able to move once more, Tsume and Heart quickly helped Hige to his feet and helped him keep up while Lauralai and Toboe stuck together and followed Kiba's and Jaspers lead.

"Hurry!" Jasper called out as the keep around them crumbled.

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The world was so different, even just making it out of the Keep, it was so different. The dome no longer was able to shield the biting cold from the rage of the blizzard outside. Its defense system fell along with Jagura's Keep. As the wolves headed out to safety with in the city with Cheza, they followed at Hige's request. He told them that Blue was waiting near by for him to return.

But when they reached the small ally Blue was supposed to be, it was empty.

"I… I don't understand." Hige looked around worried, "Blue was supposed to be here. She told me she would wait for me."

"Well she's not here," Tsume groused, "You're sure you remembered where you left her?"

"Yeah," Hige nodded, "I promised I'd return to her. No matter what, I promised her I would return,"

Hige crouched down and sat to rest his legs. His wound was starting to smart again from the blade Jagura had pierced him with. He put a hand over it to try and ease the bite of the pain, "Why did she leave?" he sounded so crestfallen.

Kiba finally let go of Akira, setting her on her feet since he knew they'd be resting here for the moment. He kept a tight watch on her though, and followed her every movement to make sure she wasn't in pain. Akira could almost feel Hige's sorrow as it were her own. She stepped up to him and squatted next to him.

"I'm sure she had a good reason to." Akira reassured, "Something must have come up and she couldn't stay here any longer." She looked over her shoulder as she and the others picked up the sounds of faint screams and gunshots echoing the domes walls, "It is getting pretty crazy here."

"Yeah, I'm sure that what ever happened would make someone like even Blue have to run to escape." Toboe offered.

"Are you sure that's the case? Maybe she went back to that human of hers the first chance she got as soon as you left." Tsume taunted, "They probably ran away before this shit started happening, just to get away from you. You have been a bit troubling to us as of late, with the traitorous deeds you've done and all"

"That's IT!" Heart snarled. Before Tsume could think to react, Heart's fist slammed into his jaw and sent the arrogant wolf flying into the ally wall behind him, "I'VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH SHIT OUTTA YOU!" she snarled.

"Heart!" Laura squeaked, "Isn't this a little extreme?"

"NO!" Heart snapped back at the younger female who coward behind Toboe with a frightened whimper. Heart turned her angry red eyes on Tsume just as he stood up again, this time, he was ready for what ever she might throw, literally, "You act as if you can put the blame on every one else! You make every one feel like they're shit, when look at yourself! Everyone has done something wrong in the past to survive and Hige didn't even know what he was doing! It wasn't his fault- it was Jagura's, and he helped take her down, so isn't that enough to earn your forgiveness?!"

"Oh, you make _me_ the bad guy now!?" Tsume snapped back.

"Well I didn't just smack down anyone else, so it looks like YOU'RE the winner in that by default, loser!" she snarled.

"If you've got something against me, then come out and say it, bitch!" Tsume snarled right back.

"HELLOOO!" Heart rolled her eyes, "Did you not just hear me ranting and raving about you? I think I've already pointed out what I have against you! Weren't you listening?"

"You talk so much it's hard to decide when to and when not to listen" Tsume grumbled.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"

"I already said it, so it looks like you're the one with a hearing problem." Tsume enjoyed the way she bristled up. He actually found it incredibly sexy.

"OOOH, THAT'S IT! YOU'RE EATING DIRT!" she roared as she took a threatening step forward, only to have Kiba hold her back, "LET GO OF ME!"

"Calm down, Heart!" Kiba growled lowly.

"I REFUSE TO CALM DOWN! WHY SHOULD I CALM DOWN!" she snapped.

"You're anger is hurting Cheza" Jasper said from where he held Cheza to his chest, trying to keep her warm.

Just like that, Heart's anger deflated, "Oh… uh," she looked at Cheza apologetically, "I'm sorry about that, Cheza. I didn't know our anger hurt you."

"It is alright," Cheza said weakly, "This one is just very sensitive after what's happened."

Jasper couldn't hold back the wheeze of a cough that hacked through him. When he was able to get his breath back, Cheza cupped his face with her hands, "Jasper?"

Jasper gently moved his face out of her reach, "I'm fine, Cheza, just a bit sore from all the yelling before" he lied, but Cheza didn't call him on it. She merely frowned at him.

Jasper cleared his throat before addressing the rest of them, "Well, if Blue did in fact leave, then we should as well. The dome is no longer safe."

"Where will we go though?" Laura asked sadly, "Paradise was closed."

"That wasn't the true paradise. Our paradise is still out there." Kiba replied.

"Where?" Toboe tilted his head.

"The tree of ages calls to this one. It says that the time is near. That is where paradise is waiting." Cheza replied.

"We're looking for a tree?" Tsume asked doubtfully.

"It is a tree that has been through all the other worlds paradise has opened on earth. The tree of ages is where seeds of flowers such as this one were born from" Cheza explained.

"So it's like your mother or something?" Toboe tilted his head curiously.

Tsume rolled his eyes, "You're such a pup"

"Hey! I was just asking!" Toboe retorted while Tsume ruffled the hair on his head good-naturedly.

Jasper took the lead now with Cheza still in his arms. Tsume and Kiba bent down to help Hige stand once more, "It's time to go."

Hige looked up shamefully at Kiba, "Aren't you going to say something? About me and Jagura-,"

"You once said something to me when we first met. Do you remember what it was?" Kiba cut him off as he heaved the heavier wolf to stand, "You told me pride means nothing if you're dead. You did what you had to do to survive. It's in the past now and there's nothing we can do to change it. It won't change the fact that we're still headed to paradise."

Akira smiled proudly as Kiba and Tsume helped Hige along while she walked at Heart's side.

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It felt like it had been hours since they had fled the city. The blizzard had yet to show its full force, but the winds were almost too harsh for them to move in, but they seemed to manage. They walked in a line with Jasper and Cheza in the front. Toboe and Lauralai were at their flank while Heart, Tsume, Kiba and Akira trailed behind the. Hige was still between Tsume and Kiba, using them to hobble along and keep up. Akira had to duck her head to try and shield her eyes from the wind. Snow had started to fall and it nipped at their noses with an icy bit from the force of the wind.

Off in the distance, a loud crash startled Jasper to stop a moment and look out over the horizon. There were bombs being unleashed somewhere far off in the distance. The group stared at the ominous sight of the air bombs lighting up the gray sky just before the detonated and sent large blasts to color the horizon.

"The war of confusion." Heart said in dismay, "The humans are starting to turn on one another."

"They sense that the world is dieing and they have no sense of reason on what to do about it." Kiba shook his head.

"Pretty damn pathetic if you ask me" Tsume snorted.

"Let's keep moving. They're getting closer" Jasper called back.

Hige lifted his head and looked over his shoulder almost hopefully. When he saw no one was behind him other than Akira, he sighed.

"Hige?" Kiba silently asked.

"It was nothing. Just a trick of the wind" Hige shook him off, "You guys don't have to carry me any more. I think I'll b e fine on my own."

Tsume and Kiba shared a doubtful look over their friends head, but let him go none the less, watching him stagger a moment before he regained his balance ands started to hobble on his own after them. Kiba took his place at Akira's side once again, becoming her wind breaker while Tsume followed Heart's tail closely. She was still irked at him, so he had to ease up to her before she let him too close.

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Kiba could feel the Akira next to him as they walked through the blizzard that stole all senses of direction other than straight forward. He had to close his eyes to shield them from the bite of icy flurries from blinding him and he turned his head to the side and downward to hide from the full brunt of the wind. Akira's nose dug deep into the fur on his side to help keep warm and he growled lowly to reassure her as he heard her whimper. He could barely see the others around them, but knew they were there from the loomy shadows that surrounded them in the sea of white snow.

"Kiba!" Tsume called, "Kiba! We can't take much more of this! We have to rest!"

"Do you see anywhere to hide!" Kiba called back with a short bark.

"No" Hige called with a cough.

"We could… we could dig a burrow to hide from the wind." Akira suggested at Kiba's side.

Kiba licked her muzzle thankfully, "Perfect! A burrow!" he raised his head tall so his voice would carry over the wind, "HEY! FOLLOW MY VOICE AND COME BACK TO ME, ALL OF YOU! WE FOUND A WAY TO REST FROM THE STORM!"

The white wolf and red part wolf huddled together in the howling wind, keeping one another warm while the loomy shadows that surrounded them approached until they were almost nose-to-nose with all the other wolves they were traveling with. None of them seemed any better off than the shivering Akira at Kiba's side. Toboe and Lauralai looked like two furry maracas with the way they shivered against one another.

"You said you had a plan?" Tsume said with a grunt.

"We'll dig a burrow to sleep in while we rest and hide from the brunt of the storm. It'll give us a place to recoup a bit of energy we'll need to make it to the tree of ages." Kiba said panting.

"You want us to dig?" Heart tilted her head doubtfully.

"You have any better ideas for shelter?" Kiba challenged.

Heart shook her head no.

"Then start digging." Kiba abruptly started to dig at the ice beneath his paws, trying to soften it and burrow it out.

Akira dug at his side vigorously. Her paws flying at the ice, clawing at it to get the ground to loosen and soon the other wolves started digging in a circle around them. It wasn't long before they made a pretty good-sized dent in the ground.

"This is taking forever!" Toboe whined.

"Shut up and keep digging," Tsume growled back.

"It's so cold here" Cheza whispered to Jasper where he sat with his legs crossed and holding her in his lap. His back was to the wind so he could block it from her somewhat.

"Don't worry Cheza." He said softly, "They're digging a burrow for us. You won't be cold for much longer. Just bare with me for now."

"A burrow?" she blinked, and then smiled, "Akira must have suggested that. This one is happy."

Jasper didn't really know what to say to that so he just stared down at the flower maiden in his arms blankly before a hacking cough belted through his lungs. He tried to cough away from Cheza and set her down off his lap while he hunched over coughing.

"Jasper?" Cheza patted his back to help him.

"I'm fine, it's nothing" Jaspers voice sounded strained, but he wouldn't let Cheza do anything about it.

"Come on," Tsume held a hand down to Jasper to help him stand up, "The burrow's ready."

"Let the youngsters and Cheza go in first." Heart said, "Then the rest of us will pile in."

Lauralai took Cheza's hand to lead the flower down inside the icy burrow, "Common Cheza, It'll warm up in here after we've settled down a bit to rest."

Cheza nodded with a smile to the young she-wolf as they followed Toboe down into the burrow.

Heart looked to Hige, "Alright, you next, fluffy." She nodded to him, "You should sleep near Cheza, her healing abilities will help your wound heal faster," she held a hand out to the young man to help him down into the burrow.

Once he was in, Heart stood up in the snow again and was about to speak, but Tsume cut her off, putting a hand to her shoulder, "You next. Kiba will want to be last to be the look out, and I know he'll want Akira next to him. Go on in." he shoved her forward.

"Well you don't have to be so pushy about it." Heart huffed half-heartedly.

"I'll shove you how ever I want." Tsume retorted.

"Sure you will" Heart shot back as they entered the small cave the pack had dug out.

Jasper looked back to Kiba and Akira, glaring at the way the white wolf stood so close to his younger sister, "Just know that what ever you do to her in there, I'll know about it. I am on the other side of her after all." He warned.

"Jazz!" Akira blushed.

Kiba chuckled, "Relax, it's not like I can ravish you in there. There's no room and this is hardly the place for it." He said looking around at the raging blizzard around them, "Your sister's safe with me" he reassured.

Jazz whipped his tail in the wind smartly as he bent down in wolf form to climb in the hole, "I've got my eye on you, Kiba. Watch yourself." He warned half-heartedly.

Akira glared at her brother's back as he disappeared down the icy hole as she also reverted to her wolf form, "He treats me like I can't fend for myself." She huffed with a pout.

"Maybe it's the way you act that has people believing such a thing." Kiba offered with a wolfish smile that showed he liked to tease her.

Akira's orange eyes shot back to him in the blizzard behind her. She could barely make out his form with the white background and hard falling snow around them with his white coat. It almost looked like the storm had yellow golden eyes watching her with a sly tint to them that made her want to grit her teeth together till they grounded each other soft.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" she bit out in all her shivering terror.

Kiba shook his head and nudged her toward the hole, "Go on and get in there, you'll kill yourself just trying to act tough with me out here."

"See that's what I'm talking about, I won't break like glass!" she childishly challenged him, resisting all she could to duck into the safety the hole behind her offered from the wind and the snow.

"No, you're just very stressed right now." Kiba sighed, "In you go." He treated her as if she were a pup, practically rolling her into the hole, stuffing her in and then filling the entry way with his won body faced toward her and nuzzling his muzzle to hers cozily, "There, warmer?"

"Yeah, warmer" she snorted snidely. Not at all impressed. Kiba took no offence though. He knew she was just moody and tired from all that happened. His warm tongue snaked out from his mouth to lick her lovingly across her muzzle, ignoring the way her brother on the other side of her growled lowly in light warning.

"Get some sleep, Akira. Tomorrow will come fast and you need your rest to keep up." Kiba said lowly as Akira bit back a yawn.

"You sound like," she failed to bite back to yawn that curled up her throat a second time, "my mother." She sighed out and nuzzled her face into his warm fur and was asleep with in movements, feeling safe with Kiba and her brother lying on either side of her.

Kiba sighed happily when he sensed she had finally fallen asleep and let himself relax to his surroundings. His eyes rested in a light slumber, but his ears kept twitching to all the sounds outside. His body was hypersensitive to any vibrations the fall of footsteps in the snow around them might bring as he kept lax watch over his cramped up pack in the small wolf-dug-out-hole. He couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness come over him though and it bothered him to no end.

Wasn't now the time to relax? He had Cheza again, and Akira was safe and sound at his side. His pack was well looked after and no one was hunting them now. Jagura was gone, so why did he feel this unease?

The white wolf shifted slightly, only moving just barely so he didn't wake up Akira who was nearly plastered to his side in the small hole. He let a small, low whine escape him to show for his discomfort of thought.

"Kiba…?" Cheza whispered.

Kiba couldn't see her since she was a few wolves down and the small den around them was packed tight around them. Lauralai and Toboe had to dig it out a bit more before they had settled down in the very back next to Cheza.

"Kiba, you should rest as well." Cheza offered.

"I'm keeping watch, Cheza" Kiba softly replied.

"That's no excuse" Jasper gruffed from the other side of Akira.

Kiba snorted at Akira's impertinent sibling.

"This one believes you all deserve to rest. It has been a long, treacherous day for you all. You deserve some rest." Cheza said with her feathery light voice.

"That's fine Cheza, I'll live." Kiba declined.

Cheza was silent for a moment and all Kiba could hear was the howling wind behind him that made his back fur ruffle where it could reach him. He inched closer to Akira's warmth to stave it off a bit more inside the burrow. He stilled his movements when Cheza's soft voice caught his ears.

Her voice carried lightly in the wind like it had before when she had sung them all to sleep so long ago in the forests. The longer the white wolf listened, the more relaxed he became. Soon his eyes felt very heavy and he eventually drifted off to sleep, listening to the soft chiming voice of Cheza's peaceful lullaby with the background music of the howling wind outside.

It didn't seem so bad now.


	28. Chapter 27 Wolfs Pain

Chapter 27 Wolfs Pain

A/N- dear GOD! I thought 200 reviews was an accomplishment with in 6 months…. Now with in like the last month, it jumped from 200 to 289 (currently) and only like 11 more to go to 300!! Never EVER expected this story to do this well! (adores you all!!)

As of this post, I have 2 messily days left of 11th grade and then OF TO SENIORSHIP! (sounds like I'm a senior citizen when I type that….wired…)

Also, how many of you out there are from Colorado? Montana? Maybe Wyoming? Reason being- I'm moving from Oklahoma with in the next year (give or take- probably less, like this summer less) and will be moving with family to a military base in one of those said states, Hawaii, Italy or even JAPAN!! (hopes for it, but is unlikely)

Sigh….

So if ur in one of those areas, please tell me. (worried face) I'm a nervous wreck about the unknown, although I've left poor little Oklahoma plenty of times to not be homesick should I ever leave it permanently (I cant help it, I actually like the dusty state! It's my home!)

Alright, onward to all the acknowledgements (damn there's a lot ((pulls up sleeves)) Alright, let's tackle this bitch!)

Acknowledgements:

Dawn, Dusk, Savagecreature, Snowstar, TwiLightzone, Quickstrike, Hybrid, AngelOfVengeance, TheLeopardDemonNovelist, gossipgirl, howling1, FangsofFury, Wildcreature, freddbing323, Venom, SilenceofDoom, Siren, HottyKat, Shurtugal, WildKat, coldfire, RedFang, lucky, froggy4543, bloodymary, stargirl, tigerjaw, freakingod, Shadow, little shadow, Furyguy, blackpanther, Prettykitty67, Carnage, sweetooth, Sabertooth, White Fang, Dhole, fannyone325, Amber, wolfsbane, emilyruby, ScarsofRemourse, alvinfreak676, Aquamarine, Vixie, QueenofSpades, Blackwidow (Pants for breath- is that all of you? Lol, I hope so!)

One last note-- Is anyone out there an artist? I've drawn all my characters and am pretty good with it too, only thing is there's no scanner here to upload them on to my deviantArt account ((ItalianStallion5)) so, if there are others who would like to draw (or have drawn) and if you have a scanner and know how to use it, I'd love to see pics if ya got them not a request or anything, just a curiosity of mine.

On with the chap!

Chapter 27 Wolfs Pain

"We sure are lucky, Cher" Hub said softly as he drove the large army SUV through the snow, "I mean, to have found each other with so much going on and to be able to see you like this again…" he looked warmly to his ex-wife, "I can't help but feel thankful."

Cher smiled warmly back, "I'm happy to have found you again as well. And I'm happy we could make it out of there alive."

"Yeah, the keep was practically coming down on our heads when we actually found one another. But still, it all seems so magical to me. It's almost as if it isn't real" Hub was silent for a moment.

Cher started to get worried when she felt the car start to slow down until it came to a stop in the snow, "Hub? Are you okay?" she turned to her ex-husband, "You're not getting sick are you, with all these wolves running around, your allergies are bound to through up a fuss at you."

"That's the funny thing, though; I haven't had trouble with my allergies in a while, even with such close contact with the wolves. I guess they just went away…. Just like we ran away from Jagura's keep…. But where do we go from here?"

"Huh?" Cher almost couldn't hear him now that Hub had begun to whisper.

"Where do we go from here? The world is dieing, Cher, what hope do we have to live on?" Hub was almost to tears!

Cher felt very numb suddenly as Hub brought to light what she had ignored for so long. She felt that that was the reason that she could never get pregnant when they were married not so long ago. She had wanted to have Hubs children so much, but her body just wouldn't conceive, and now it made sense to her.

"I think on some manner of speaking, we all knew that the world was coming to an end. That's why all of us humans have made humanity spin so utterly out of control, because in the end we can't control it." Cher said softly, "It all makes so much sense now- what was such a mystery before is so much clearer when you finally accept the end is near like it is." Both man and woman sat in the silence of the cab of the car, the only sound was the beating wind against the window seal in front of them and the pound of the snow like rain around them, "In the end there really is no where for us to go. We'll end up just as heart broken as Jagura when she tried to open up a paradise only she could control by controlling the wolves. That is not paradise."

"So we'll follow them." Hub said suddenly.

"What?" Cher turned curiously to Hub, a new light of life shone in his eyes as he felt the fire return to him for survival. Cher watched astounded as her ex-husband revved up the engine again and started on their way once again with determination set in his green eyes.

"We'll follow the wolves. We'll go to paradise together. I don't know how far humans can go, but I don't want to just sit here and die in a corrupted world like those sorry souls before us. We were given the chance to help Cheza and I believe that gives us the right to follow her as well. We'll follow the wolves as close to paradise as we can get and if we die, at least it'll be closer to paradise than here."

"Hub, do you know what you're saying!" Cher gasped.

"No, not really but it's better than being here, don't you think? I can't stand not to believe in something like this. I won't let my heart go to waste like all those men behind us shooting each other in blind wars." Hub seemed very determined.

Cher watched the man before her and could almost feel his courage revitalizing her own. She smiled warmly up to him, "Alright Hub. We'll go to paradise. You and me." She nodded, taking his hand in hers encouragingly.

A flash of black caught her attention from the front window and Cher turned instinctively to see what it was. She gasped in horror when she realized that what ever it was, was crossing their path and it looked like they'd hit it-

"HUB-STOP!" she shouted suddenly, spooking Hub.

"Huh!- Wh-what-?" Hub noticed the black shape in the snow as well and startled himself to slam on the break and turn the wheel to the opposite direction, "Ooooooh shit!" he yelped as the vehicle started to skid underneath them, "This doesn't look good!"

They held their breath as the large SUV swung away in the snow from the same path the shape the had spotted outside to be and slid to a stop, kicking up snow all around as it did, but otherwise, nothing else went wrong.

Hub gasped for breath, trying to calm himself down and mentally took a quick note that he was still in one piece and still breathing- he was okay, "Cher, are you alright?" he panted.

"Yes- yes I'm fine" Cher gasped for breath as well. Both shared a smile of thanks, knowing the other was alright for now, "Wha-what was that?"

"I don't know," Hub said taking off his seat belt, "Stay here," he had to kick open his door since the sliding stop packed snow up to it, "I'll check it out." He closed the door before Cher could say anything.

"HUB!" she called, banging on the window to get the man's attention as he passed her by to check out what had driven them off the road…. Even though they weren't really on the road…. Anyways-

"You idiot!" she yelled in frustration, yanking off her seatbelt as well and kicking open her door. She had to work at it a few times, but a few good kicks had the large SUV door swinging open and she had to put bodily effort in it to shove it back closed. The wind and the snow around her twirled her around as if she were a flimsy doll and Cher had to fight against it to get her bearings and make her way toward the gray blob in her vision she knew was Hub.

"HUB! WHAT IS IT?" she called.

"Cher?" Hub called back, "I thought I told you to stay inside!" she didn't listen to him as she approached his side and leaned against him for warmth. A sharp bark alerted Cher who they had found.

"Blue!" Cher knelt down to the black half-wolf that huddled in the snow below them, "What are you doing out here! Where are the others?"

"I don't know" Blue called back over the wind as she reverted to her humanoid form to talk with them better, "Hige left me to go help the others a while back, and I had to leave there with Pops because it was getting to rough in the dome to stay for long. You gotta do something, Cher, Pops is hurt! He's bleeding really bad and I can't get the blood to stop, he won't wake up!" Blue was frantic and she was cold and scared, "Please!" she grasped Hub's coat collar, "You gotta save him!"

"We can't do anything out here in the storm," Cher took Blue's shivering hands off her surprised ex-husbands person and tugged the frantic young woman away from Hub, "We need to get your Pops inside the back of the truck, I'll be able to look him over better in there, I'm some what of a doctor I guess." Cher offered.

"Oh thank you, thank you so much! I was so worried!" Blue nearly cried.

"Yes, well could you ladies lend a hand," Hub heaved Quent over his shoulder, "He's heavier than he looks and the blood's getting every where."

Cher and Blue haphazardly helped Hub drag Quent into the back of the truck. Cher had to leave them to go around the front of the truck and push the lever that would open the back door for a moment and then scurry back to them in all the force of the storm around them. When all four of them were safely inside the back of the truck, Blue and Hub pulled mightily down on the back door to close them off from the raging blizzard outside. Once all was well, they took a moment to catch their breath.

"See, that wasn't so hard," Hub huffed light heartedly.

"Let's look over Mr. Quent" Cher said, preparing herself as Blue quickly gathered the wounded man's head to rest in her lap like a pillow.

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Kiba slowly awoke with the funny feeling that something was missing. His body was so tired and it felt so good to be finally able to curl up in the warmed den they'd dug out and just sleep for real that he didn't want to really give it up just yet. He moaned lowly in his sleep and pulled himself to curl closer into the body next to him. Some how, he was further from it than he remembered. Why was Akira all the way over there? He snuggled closer till his nose hit fur and dug into it, in haling gratefully only to hold his breath in sudden alarm.

This smell smelt of a musky rain, not a fresh one he remembered. And it was spiced with a thick pine smell and male based robust tint to it. A rumbling threat of a half-sleep growl was vibrating the whole body his muzzle had found as well and Kiba opened his eyes to see silver that was a shade darker than his own snowy white. He was suddenly confused- wasn't Akira red?

"Get your nose outta my fur, Snowflake" That was defiantly not Akira- that was Jasper mumbling to him half-asleep.

Kiba jerked away and raised his head sharp enough to bonk the extremely low ceiling of the den with a yelp, "Akira?" he hissed in a hushed whisper.

Jasper snorted in retort and shuffled away from the white wolf to curl closer to Tsume and fall back to a light sleep. Mumbling something about 'stupid people'.

"Kiba?" Akira's voice called from outside.

Kiba twisted around curiously to see the red she wolf peeking in at him from outside the entrance. Her orange eyes bright and alert, showing that she'd been awake for a while now.

"What are you doing out there?" Kiba whispered sternly. Angered that she left him on her own, "And just how'd you get around me anyways with out waking me up?"

Akira shrugged, "Natured called" she excused and her eyes glinted teasingly a moment, "Besides, you slept so heavily that even when I wiggled over you, you slept like a baby and just curled back up to Jasper when you couldn't feel my body heat anymore." She stepped aside for him when Kiba started to climb out to join her. She nuzzled her greetings under his chin soon as he was out of the hole tenderly, "You seemed so tired."

"We all were" Kiba curled his head so their necks hugged one another in a tender wolf-ish hug, "You still should have woken me up and not just left me. What if something happened to you?"

She rolled her eyes as she pulled away, "Yes, because that's just what happens every time I feel the need to pee- someone abducts me." She said sarcastically with a laugh at his indignant glare, "Relax, its fine." She reassured. When his reprimanding glare didn't cease, she sighed and reverted to human form just as he did and wrapped her arms around him to comfort him, "Look, nothing happened. See? Even the snow let up. There's not even any wind- it's just really, really cold" she shivered.

Kiba hugged her to himself as she kissed his neck to help reassure him. He already had forgiven her, but her kissing up, literally, wasn't such a bad thought to keep going for a while. He pulled away from her a little and hooked a finger under her chin as he leaned in close so they were eye to eye, "You tell me that every thing's fine and I should relax when I know that with in the next 12 hours, you'll probably go running off on your own again in dangerous situations, even if it is just to relieve bladder." He smirked in a teasing way as he stole a kiss from her lips, swiping his tongue over parted lips, but not giving into her open invitation to take it any further. Purposefully denying her simple wishes as payment for making him worry repeatedly.

When he pulled gently away from her, he saw her blush and look away a moment, "Funny thing about that." She started and swallowed. She was nervous about something, "When I went to do… well, that is when I went to …. Pee," she felt awkward to say it so childishly in front of him for some reason, "My stomach got upset, and I threw up," she hesitated at his sudden look of concern and suspicion and quickly continued to explain, "Don't worry, I'm not sick or anything- see?" she held his hand up to her forehead expectantly to prove her point, "No fever. I'm fine. It must have just been all the nerves and lack of regular food schedule."

Kiba didn't look convinced, "You don't need a fever to be sick sometimes. What if you're coming down with something?" he looked her over and held a hand to her chin, pulling it down, "Open up a minute." She obeyed silently and opened her mouth so he could look inside, "No redness in the throat…" he let her close her mouth, kissing her quickly afterwards playfully, "You don't taste sick." He mocked as he licked his lips in thought.

Akira batted at his arm and stepped away from him, "That's taking advantage!"

"I'm somewhat of an opportunist." He shrugged, "Can't help it" he grinned.

She gave him a dry look, "Yeah, I'll bet!" she mocked playfully with a challenging growl.

He growled playfully right back, but was stopped short when he was no longer looking at his love in the face playfully, but at her older brother's arms crossed over his chest. Kiba had to look up since Jasper was half a head taller than he was and saw that the silver wolf was glaring unamused down at him. Annoyance was clearly written all over his posture as he stood wedged between Kiba and his younger half sister.

"Good morning, Jazz" Kiba said with a straight face.

"Not much of a good one, if you ask me, with all the flirting you're throwing around. Did you take a class before you met Akira?" the over protective sibling accused.

"Ha-ha, funny, Jazz, but please…" Akira put a hand on her elder brothers' bicep and tried to move him aside but he wouldn't budge so she walked around him, "You don't need to butt in like this"

"Don't I now?" he gruffed.

"Kiba's not bothering me. We do this sort of thing all the time now" Akira blushed lightly in Kiba's defense.

"That's right" Kiba nodded, hooking an arm lightly over her shoulders and pulling her closer to his side, much to Jasper's chagrin.

"You're pushing it, Snowflake" Jasper said lowly, "Watch yourself."

"What's eating you?" Kiba shot back, "You weren't this protective before when we met at Darcia's"

"My mother hadn't died the night before, and you're acting like nothings happened!" Jasper accused.

"Jazz, I know she only just died, but I can not bring myself to mourn like you are. I never knew her" Akira confessed, "I feel just so awkward with all of that."

"She was your mother, Akira, cant you feel anything?"

"I feel sorry that I never knew her, but I won't grief for her. She told me not to- she told you not to."

"Well I can't just not remember it. I can't just simply act like it's never happened." Jasper retorted.

"So? You never had to. Just don't take it out on us because Kiba and I chose to move on and leave her death behind." Akira hugged her brother around the waist, "We'll see her again in paradise. She promised us she would."

Jasper sighed and hugged his sister back, holding her gently, "Yeah, I know, but I… it just happened so…. I cant…" he fell silent and Kiba simply stood aside and let the siblings have their moment.

Kiba turned slightly when he noticed the rest of the pack emerging from the den and stretching- it was time to move on. He looked back up to the clouds and tried to guess how long they had until the heavy weathering sky would hold still with the snow for them to travel comfortably.

"Why do you smell so strange?" Jasper snorted, "Like Kiba almost?"

Akira blushed red as Kiba gawked at them when Hige gasped in alarm-

"I smell BLOOD… human blood!" the brown wolf barked.

"It could be soldiers" Tsume yawned, "If they're near, we need to check it out and see just what they're doing out here. If they're following us…." He let that linger and looked to Kiba for the answer, but Jasper beat the white one to it.

"Than we'll go around them until they attack us. If we attack them, it'll only slow us down and Cheza can't hold on much longer- she's starting to wither away." He said softly.

All the wolves fell silent and looked to Cheza as the oblivious Flower Maiden crawled out to them from the den. She smiled weakly at them and hugged her cloak tighter to her shivering body as the cold air wrapped around her, "This one is ready to continue. Let us return to paradise." She said in her soft enthusiastic voice.

"Sure, Cheza" Lauralai nodded and took her hand, "Here, walk with me" she offered.

Cheza smiled in return and nodded, letting the young she-wolf lead her. The other wolves shared a glance around to one another and they all knew that they all shared the same thought- they were worried for Cheza. What would happen to her when Paradise opens? 

Kiba swallowed at the sobering thought and looked sidelong to Akira who hadn't let her eyes wander from Cheza and Lauralai walking pass them, 'And what of Akira? Jagura's Paradise made her convulse in intense pain when it was opened; will the real paradise be like that?'

He didn't want to think of that. If that's what it took for paradise to open, then he'd find another way or never open paradise. Nothing was worth her pain in his eyes.

"Hey, come over here, is this it?" Toboe called.

The other wolves sniffed the ground near Toboe as they approached, each catching the unmistakable tang of blood; human blood.

Hige snorted, "Ugh, disgusting" he curled his lips in distaste as he stepped away from the splatter of red snow just in front of Toboe's feet, "Human blood is always so intense compared to normal."

"It's because most taint it with fear when they're bleeding to death." Kiba said solemnly. Even his nose twitched in distaste. Humans were still an annoyance to him.

"They have reason enough to fear death, don't they?" Akira defended, "After all, they're not meant for the harsh survival of the primal world. Their hid is too weak and abilities too frail. Their purpose is not to survive on the bare minimum but to create something out of the bare minimum."

"Human lover" Tsume snorted.

"That's a matter of my own opinion." Akira huffed, turning her head away smartly to dismiss anymore prods her pack may throw at her for having a heart for humans.

Heart inspected the blood closer, inhaling deeper to better gage what secretes it held. Her nostrils snorted as the red eyed black wolf raised her head for fresher air, "Something's strange about this scent though. I feel as if I've smelt it before."

"Of course you have. You kill humans, don't you? They all bleed" Hige bitterly commented.

"I think what she's getting at is that this is a specific human we've run into before." Jasper commented, "Or at least you have…. No never mind" he bent his head to inspect the blood himself and nodded, "Definitely know that scent anywhere." He stood up and looked to the others confidently, "It's that old man, Quent- Blue's human."

"Blue?" Hige perked.

"How old is it?" Heart asked, ducking her head to question the blood scent more eagerly, "It hasn't even crusted over the snow yet. It could be less than a day old. If we could just tell which way they were headed…"

"I don't think that'll be a problem" Tsume nodded to the thin trail in the snow that lead away from where the splotch they had gathered, "From the looks of it, they must have stopped and rested here, or he got hurt here."

"There are tire tracks over here, and skid marks from shoes it seems." Akira walked over to the right and looked over the tracks the snow had left over. She looked back to the others in alarm suddenly, "You don't think he actually got ran over do you?" she worried.

"Oh no, what about Blue!" Lauralai eeped.

"Relax, there's only human blood. Blue's probably the one dragging him." Kiba said following the path of the blood with his eyes, "But if we want to catch her, we need to go now. It's in the same direction we're headed so it doesn't even put us off course."

"And is that really a good thing?" Tsume accused.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Laura asked curiously, "Don't you wanna see Blue again?" 

Tsume sneered, "I could give less a care if I ever saw her face again, but her human I'd rather not see at all. He's a hunter if you haven't forgotten." Tsume reminded the others, "I'd say it's a blessing that he's wounded and from all the blood, badly wounded. If he dies, I say we celebrate."

"Yeah, well what do you know, you arrogant prick" Heart growled, "Do you not remember who it was that snapped that old man's gun in half? He's harmless and he only hunts us because of a misunderstanding. You'd hunt wolves too if you thought they killed your family so brutally." She defended for Blue's sake.

"I'm getting really tired of hearing your opinions conflict so much." Tsume grumbled, "In fact, I'm flat out tired of you to begin with. First you claim to hate humans-,"

"I never came out and said I hate humans" Heart interjected quickly and firmly.

"Fine, first you _kill_ them with out a second glance and claim vengeance on half their race. Then you double back every time that blue eyed bitch is wanderin about and defend every sliver of her being you can. What reason do you have for sticking up for a half breed you just met, huh?" he demanded, tired of having to butt heads with her every time Blue came up between them. It was as if she were in love with that half-breed, but he thankfully knew her preferences in sex at the very least and it wasn't swinging that way at all. He knew for a fact that her interest in sex swung his way, no matter how infuriated they could be to one another.

Heart clammed up quickly, unwilling to share her secrete just yet.

"Well, I'm waiting" Tsume baited.

Heart snarled at him to back off.

"Look, let's just go and check on Blue. She'll probably want to go to paradise as well, right?" Akira suggested, "There, see now? Problem solved. Let's go" she started to walk off, but no one moved. She walked a grand total of five, ground eating steps to get the point that they were to start walking too, but no one moved at all. Not even Kiba moved. He was watching intently on the interaction between Heart and Tsume for it had also struck him odd that the female stuck so loyally to Blue's defense at all times, even when it went against the better of the pack.

"Guys?" Akira called pitifully, "Common, don't do this now. Let's hurry up and go get Blue already" she sighed.

"Go get Blue?" Tsume scoffed, "Go to paradise? Remember what she did to you?"

"Yeah, I do, and I already put that behind me. She asked for my forgiveness didn't she, and I gave it." Akira pointed out.

"She killed her own kind. Do you really think a half breed like her that killed our kind ruthlessly can make it to our holy land?"

"Drop it" Kiba quickly quipped.

"No, Kiba, let the big bad ass wolf speak. What is it that a half breed can't do that full bloods can? What gives you the right to say who can and can't go to paradise, huh? Or do forget that I'm a half breed as well, huh? Do you think I can't make it either, Tsume, is that what you think? Am I just wasting my time here? Huh?" she rambled with actual tears brimming her ruby eyes.

"I didn't mean it like that" Tsume said softly, "What I meant was the fact that she killed other wolves."

"We all have" Heart quipped, "So does that make us any less deserving of the promise of our holy land?"

"No, but Blue…"

"Is what?"

"Why do you keep defending her!" Tsume bit out, "Why must you always be on HER side? Why can't you just stay with me?"

Heart was shocked to silence as well as ever one else. The others wisely stayed out of this, sensing that Tsume wasn't trying to bash on Blue but the fact that Heart seemed to have Blue prioritized above him. He…

He was in love with her and he was jealous that she always never took his side when Blue came into the picture.

"I am with you" Heart sighed.

"No you're not. If you could choose, who would it be? Me or her?" Tsume bit out.

"I can't do that" Heart said tightly, not looking at him. Why'd he have to go and make this so difficult? 

"Why cant you? What makes this so damn hard! If given the chance, who would you run to? That bitch or me!"

"Hey now, don't call Blue a-," Hige started heatedly.

"STAY OUTTA THIS!" Tsume snapped.

Hige snarled back, but stayed back in respect of Heart rather than the raving Tsume. Heart actually seemed like there was something that needed to be said.

"I cant chose between you and her because you wouldn't either if you had to chose between the one you love and… your family" Heart whispered, "I can never chose between you two so stop making me do that!" she shouted.

"Family! She's your family now? How the hell-,"

"She didn't know she was a wolf because she was separated from our family at an early age!" Heart said, suddenly flustered, "There was this fire in the forest and, and, there was no way for me to…. And well…." She choked back a sob, "Will you just shut up…" she feebly sniveled, wiping away the tears that finally let loose. The strong woman was reduced to a sniveling girl right before Tsume's eyes and he wasn't satisfied. He felt more like shooting himself now.

Tsume swallowed his pride and walked forward, "Look, I'm sorry, okay?" Tsume glared pointedly at the others to give them some privacy as he approached Heart who stepped away slightly from him as he approached.

Kiba tucked Akira under his arm, "Common, let's leave him be to fix what he's done" he whispered.

Akira nodded.

"Finally." Hige snorted, "He's got a lot to own up to her for."

"Shh" Toboe hissed as they crept away, leaving the two be alone for a moment.

"Heart, look at me" Tsume pleaded.

Heart shook her head no, "Just go, okay? Just leave me alone, you always end up yelling at me"

"Because you always end up putting me in my place and I'm sorry, but that's how I react." Tsume bit out.

"I know." Heart grinned slightly, but it was ruined by her sobbing.

Tsume's gold eyes softened. He held out a hand to her, "Heart…. Please?" he asked genuinely.

Heart looked from his hand to his eyes, "She's my little sister, Tsume."

"I know that now." Tsume smiled, "and I'm sorry I was such a bastard about it before. You know I'm the jealous type."

She nodded and took his hand finally. He tugged her to him and hugged her tightly, "Idiot." She sniveled lightly in his chest.

"Yeah, yeah, but I'm your idiot" Tsume sighed with a chuckle, kissing the top of her head and simply holding her while she cried.

When she started to calm down, he pulled away to look her in the eyes, "We'll go find her, alright? We'll reunite with our family"

"Our?" she tilted her head.

Tsume smirked, "You're not getting away from me ever again, bitch" he growled lowly.

"Oh really now? And just what are you gonna do about it?" she challenged, leaning toward him so their foreheads touched.

"Pin you down by any means necessary" he suddenly dipped his head and stole a kiss from her lips, eliciting a mewl of delight from her. he didn't let up on his slightly forceful kiss until he was sure she was preening in affection as he kept the kiss innocently tantalizing- giving her a brief taste of what now was all hers before pulling away to glare at her, "If you so much as look at another male from here on in, you'll be barefoot and pregnant before next spring." He threatened.

"Oh, promises, promises" she chided him, kissing him now with as much force as he had her, but this time, sliding her tongue inside his mouth to greet his own. They fought for dominance, not letting the other one win easily before finally Heart gave in with a moan.

She broke away with a grin when he tried to follow her, but she held a finger to his lips to stop him. He bit down on her finger to reprimand her and she dug her nail into his tongue in retort. He hissed and pulled away, glaring down at her mockingly now.

"Let's go find my sister" she husked.

"And after?" Tsume breathed.

"On to paradise where you'll be sure to see your own paradise, if you know what I mean, big bad wolf" she grinned.

"Is that a promise?"

"Cross my heart" she nodded.

Tsume quickly tugged her along, "Let's find this Blue girl quick" he grinned.

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"How is he?" Hub asked as he looked over his shoulder to the back covered bed of the army SUV he drove. He was alone in the front of the vehicle while Blue waited in the back as Cher tended to Quent every needed chance.

"He's suffered no broken bones, and the bleeding's stopped on the outside for now, but his breathing functions are a little off. I think he slipped into a temporary coma. His pupils are very dilated and he has gasping fits as if he can't get enough air some times. He's also lost a whole lot of blood and is very weak to begin with." Cher sighed, "I'm surprised he's still alive."

"Pop's has always been a fighter" Blue said softly. She looked hopefully to Cher, "Do you… do you think he'll be alright? Is he in pain?"

"No. thankfully, he's too unconscious to be in pain. That's the good thing about temporary coma." Cher grimaced, "Or at least I hope it's temporary coma…. I'm no expert, but I know the symptoms of a coma. He seems to be more aware of the world around him though, he can probably hear us to some degree, even. But it's still a coma sate and it's all we can do to tend to his injuries and wait it out. I can't even tell if there's internal bleeding, but he'd have swelled up somewhere by now, - especially with how thin and pale his skin is"

Blue tucked her knees up to her chin and hugged them as she sat in the back with Cher. Her blue eyes unseeing and full of worry, "Common Pops." She whispered.

Cher smiled softly, "Blue…"

"I have faith in the old guy." Hub said confidently from the front, "He's always been a stubborn guy. He'll pull through sooner or later, just you wait"

"Thanks. That's very nice to hear." Blue nodded.

Hub yawned, "Man I'm getting tired from all this driving and just seeing snow all around with no change in scenery really makes ya drossy."

"Don't quite on us now, Hub, we have to keep going till we find them" Cher reprimanded.

"But wolves are so invisible when they want to be. What if we never find them?"

"We'll find them. I can almost feel Cheza's presence somewhere near by." Blue confided. Then thoughtfully reflected, "I wander if she can feel me as much as I sense her?"

"You wolves have such a strong connection with Cheza. It almost makes me jealous." Cher smiled.

"Whenever I'm around her, I feel so alive. It's not a romantic kind of love, but it's as if she's my true family. I'd do anything for her should she just ask, but Cheza's not like that. It's one of the great things about her- that she's so innocent and humble. It just makes me wanna protect her even more since she's not tainted like the rest of the world. She's a tangible promise of new life, I guess you could say."

"That's certainly something to go by." Hub said, "I know that when I was with her back with Jasper in the airship, I had the overwhelming urge to protect her as if she were my own child. She's just so frail looking and those soldiers seemed so rough in handling her, I wanted to protect her and shield her at all costs." Hub sighed, "I guess that must be some celestial power she has or something, if she really is from paradise."

"I'm not sure" Blue admitted, "I really don't know anything about her or paradise really, but the others make it sound so wonderful, it's all I have left to hope for now."

Blue's ears perked up suddenly and she jerked upright in alarm, "What's…" she stilled as her senses suddenly went haywire with the scent of lunar flowers and the musky scent of male wolf. A particular one came to mind for her though and made her heart beat faster till it skipped a precious beat in excitement, "STOP THE CAR!"

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Akira stumbled with a yelp of surprise at Kiba's side. Kiba was quick to catch her arm and waist before she could fall to her knees and held her steady, "Are you alright, Akira? You've seemed off balance lately"

"Off balance?" Akira pulled away from him gently and shook her head no, even though the uneven puffs of air she panted said otherwise that she wasn't tired, "No, I'm just a bit light headed."

"You must be a little dehydrated from regurgitating this morning" Kiba sighed.

"That must be it" she nodded, "I just feel so tired lately. I don't know why…." 'And I've been having these strange dreams too…' she added silently.

"Do you want me to carry you?"

"No, you always do that even when I'm just fine. If I just plow through this and not baby myself, I'm sure my nerves will steel up again and I'll be good as new."

"Let me put this differently" Kiba gritted his teeth. He scooped her up bridal style and started walking again with her wiggling to get down like a spoiled pup, "You're tired, so I'll carry you."

"Must you insist on overriding my own judgment on everything that pertains to my health?" she growled.

"You don't know your own health very well, I'm afraid." Kiba said dryly.

"I do to! It's my body! I should know!" she snapped.

"You should, but you don't, at least not very well" Kiba said nonchalantly, "The only way you stop to think something's wrong is when you actually faint from exhaustion."

"That's not true!" she denied.

"I'd have to agree with Kiba on this one, Akira." Heart sighed, "You are hopelessly oblivious."

"Am not!" Akira bit back.

"Yea you are." Jasper snorted.

"No I'm not" Akira pouted.

"This one too thinks Akira is a bit oblivious…." Cheza admitted softly.

"Even Cheza thinks I'm a twitted Air Head?" Akira whined.

"No, just oblivious" Lauralai chimed.

"Oh, now Laura's in on it too?" Akira huffed and crossed her arms to pout, but it was a bit difficult with the way Kiba had her curled to his chest in his arm, "Whatever." She rolled her eyes.

Kiba just smiled in victory.

Hige stopped suddenly and looked up the slope. He didn't move as he stared up ahead and tail raised high in the air anxiously.

Toboe stopped a few paces ahead of him, having been walking at his side, "Hige? What's the matter?" 

A low howl called out to them over the bluffs of snow that had the whole pack stopping surprised in their tracks. Hige's tail started to wag uncontrollably.

"It's Blue!" he cried, hobbling up the slope excitedly just as a dark shape approached the crest of the bluff ahead of him. a black dog raced down to meet him with a happy bound and a wagging tail as Blue leaped into the air and tackled Hige down happily. Both wolves laughed as they nuzzled, licked and nipped at each other in greeting, happily reunited as the pack behind them watched on warmly.

"HIGE! I FINALLY FOUND YOU! YOU'RE OKAY?" Blue gasped.

"Yeah, I' fine, Blue, especially with you here now" Hige replied flirtatiously.

"No you're not!" Blue snapped, seeing the blood on his shoulder, "You're wounded!"

"What, this?" Hige held his shoulder, "It's nothing, Cheza's been staying near me so I'll heal up properly and quickly. Besides, it's only sore now, not bleeding"

"You had me so worried! I'm so sorry I couldn't stay but I had to help Pops!" Blue stopped suddenly, "OH MY GOD! POPS!" she looked over her shoulder worriedly, "I left Pops side! What if he wakes up and just sees Cher?"

"Cher?" Akira tilted her head.

"She and her husband found me and Pops and were kind enough to give us a lift in the Army SUV they have. Cher said Pops has slipped into a temporary coma. He doesn't look too good…"

"Let's go then. Take us to them" Kiba said.

"Is that really a good idea? He's a hunter…" Tsume cautioned.

"Cheza is weak from the bite of the weather and strain of travel. If they have an SUV, she can rest inside while we continue on." Jasper said, covering a cough.

"Are you okay?" Blue asked.

"Just a bit of a nasty cold I picked up." Jasper coughed again, and then held his breath to calm down his breathing, "I'll be fine."

"Let's move" Kiba said.


	29. Chapter 28 Blinded Sight

Chapter 28 Blinded Sight

A/N- Yeah, I know it's been a while, but I've been forced to study for the ACT test coming up this Saturday and I've had a few birthdays to go to (HAPPY B-DAY ZANNY-CHAN!) not to mention I am now a camp councilor for a horse-back-riding camp at the stable I ride at and well yeah…. It's been pretty hectic, but since today there was so much rain that it flooded out our dead-end street, I was unable to go to the horrors of summer camp and was able to update! YEAAAAAHHH!!

So yeah that's what happened (ah, excuses, excuses)

Acknowledgments-

TheLeopardDemonNovelist(HAPPY B-DAY!!), Blackwidow, Emeraldragon, Vixie, CrismonTiger, Solarwind, Shurtugal, Hybrid, coldfire, howling1, Dhole, Wildcreature, alvinfreak676, fannyone325, RedFang, Sabertooth, AngelOfVengeance, Siren, Prettykitty67, Carnage, little shadow(and big shadow), Aquamarine, bloodymary, freakingod, TwiLightzone, Venom, FangsofFury, Snowstar, QueenofSpades, tigerjaw, emilyruby, White Fang, froggy4543, lucky, HottyKat, blackpanther, gossipgirl, freddbing323, Amber, Savagecreature, Hellhound, ScarsofRemourse, wolfsbane, SilenceofDoom, sweetooth, Quickstrike, Furyguy, stargirl, WildKat, Dusk, Dawn…..(Is that everone?)

PS NOTE- from here on out, there will be character deaths (I know we all hate it, but it is part of the story line I'm keeping, but don't worry, it all works out in the end ) AND-

In the next chapter the plot goes like WAAAAAAAAAY out from the original and there's a lot of violence, suspence, and action. I'm still trying to keep the romance factor with in it, so it will still have ROMANCE! (has made a commitment to make it work) just a heads up on it for ya

Response to the main review of all-

AKIRA'S PREGNANT??

-Yep she is (if not know how, check the chapters where Kiba and Akira are trapped in the false paradise) and yes, it truly does only take ONCE with all the right timing included (so watch out if your involved with someone. It happens in my family all the time- sigh-)

Does Kiba know?

-Nope

Why?

-Yes he'd be able to smell it IF he were thinking about it, but as we all know, Kiba's preoccupied with getting to paradise, and to say the truth, females don't always show or smell like their pregnant until at least the second month AND they did do it in a FALSE PARADISE where both learned that only their spirits went to and not their bodies so they both don't belive it's possible, but I was evil and had it be written that IT IS! HAHAHAHA!

(okay, I think I over killed it again…. Sad face…)

-When are the pups due?

--that would be not for a while. Since in the story, she only conceived like a month ago. I'm having the pregnancy timing go along with the human way since I'm not well versed in how wolf timing really is (I know it's about the same, but to be on the safe side and not look like an idiot this will have to do )

Disclaimer (hate these things so much, but I was threatened that the story would be deleted if I don't start putting these up- SO-) I don't own WolfRain…. I own the box set though and the only 2 manga it came out in and my original characters though

Read and ENJOY!

Chapter 28 Blinded Sight

"So you did find them, I'm so relieved that you're all alright!" Cher sighed, "When the keep came down, I was afraid some of you had gotten caught up in the cave-in of the hallways. Hub and I narrowly made it out ourselves" she looked to her ex-husband who leaned against the SUV behind her as they both greeted the newly arrived wolves.

Hub nodded, "Yeah, it gave us quite a scare,"

"We made it out in plenty of time." Heart reassured, "Sadly, that's not the first time a building started to cave in while we were inside, right guys?" she turned to the others in the pack.

Hige rolled his eyes and sighed, "Tell me about it. This up-paced life style really has its few perks and many down falls to it."

Akira stepped forward almost shyly. She had convinced Kiba to let her on her own feet but he insisted on shadowing her every step at her side, not taking any chances that she may fall again. She still seemed a little worse for wear even to Cher and Hub.

"Blue said that her human was hurt?" she asked.

Cher and Hub shared a dreading look and Cher sighed then looked back to the red-headed youth, "Yes, Quent is very ill right now. Did she tell you?"

"Something like 'temporary coma'?" Kiba hinted.

Cher nodded, "He also has gasping fits every now and then and I can't find a pattern in them. They seem to pop up at odds and with out any warning sometimes. The good news is that his wounds are healing better since the blood flow is lessened with his unconsciousness and steady heart beat, somewhat at least."

"Then he should count his blessings." Lauralai smiled serenely.

Jasper nodded to the truck bed, "Is there room for more in there?"

"Oh yes, plenty" Cher nodded back. She and Hub opened the back, "I assume you wolves would like Cheza to rest inside while we travel? There's room for more, but with all of you, it could get a little cramped."

"Doesn't the old man need his space though? It might not be good for him if he's cramped up with all of us in there, right?" Toboe cautioned.

"That's fine." Kiba said, "We'll rotate who's allowed inside and who will run."

"Yeah, but where exactly are we headed now?" Hub asked, "Do you guys know the way to paradise?"

"Cheza said that the tree of ages is calling to her. We assume that is where the true paradise resides. At least the gates to it" Akira answered.

"Tree of ages?" Hub echoed curiously as Lauralai led Cheza into the back of the truck with the unconscious hunter.

"We don't know much of it ourselves….." Tsume admitted.

"All we know is that that is our best bet on where to go from here." Kiba added.

"Then to this tree of ages we'll go." Hub nodded, approaching the cab of the SUV.

"You humans really wanna try and go?" Hige couldn't understand why. Paradise was for wolves, right?

"Paradise is our only hope for this life." Hub said sadly as he paused a moment before opening the drivers door to the SUV. He looked up to the sky and sighed, "With this word dieing, there's no real hope for us. It's a pitiful way to live. Maybe if there was another planet out there somewhere, we could modify our airships for space travel and go start life on another planet. Start anew."

"Why?" Kiba tilted his head, "Why do humans always look to the sky for answers? Why do you always want to fly when you've been given no wings. We were given four legs to run, and that's what we'll do. We'll run where ever this path to paradise may take us so that we may find another life, a better future to live in and for"

"I've…. Never thought of it like that…." Hub admitted sheepishly.

Tsume snorted, "Humans always run away to the skies, thinking they can escape the chaos they unleashed on the ground. Darkness and death know no boundaries and will follow you to the ends of the universe should you escape this planet even. Even if you find another world or planet to live on, Human greed will follow and the cycle will just start over."

"Yeah, that's humanity for ya" Hub sighed as he hoisted himself up into the drivers seat, "Alright, let's get this show on the road!"

"Who else will rest in the back?" Toboe asked.

"Hige should. He's still wounded, and Blue too, since she needs to be there for her Pops" Akira said, she looked to her brother, "You should too. You seem a bit tired."

Jasper nodded, "It'll be good to catch some shut eye while I can. I'll be the first to rotate out though." With that said, he climbed into the back of the SUV.

"You should too, Akira" Kiba insisted.

"What? Why me?" Akira said in alarm, "I'm not hurt"

"But you have been looking a bit exhausted." Heart said, "You look like you're about ready to fall over."

"I feel fine" Akira insisted.

"You can't even walk straight and you say you feel fine?" Tsume chuckled.

"Yes!" she stubbornly refused.

"Akira, you know I love you, but you have only two choices in this" Kiba gritted his teeth and held up a finger as he counted off her choices both verbally and visually, "One, you can get in the back and take a nap on your own, or, two- I'll personally throw you back there and tie you down with the extra rope in the back so you can't escape and you struggle till you faint in exhaustion, and THEN rest."

"Those aren't choices" Akira whined, "Those are demands"

"That's a matter of opinion" Kiba grinned.

"Well my opinion says otherwise"

"Too bad" Kiba shrugged, "What'll it be, Akira? Go willing or the hard way?"

"Fine, I'll go take a freak'n nap!" she grumbled, stalking her way to the back of the SUV and climbing in. she turned to glare down at smirking blue eyed man she'd come to love and hate at the same time lately, "Happy now?"

"Just giddy. Now off to bed." He waved her off, "Get some sleep, and don't try and stay awake. Blue will tell me if you do"

"Yes, Dad" Akira rolled her eyes and reverted to her wolf form to curl up with a stubborn moan next to an amused Cher who sat beside Quents head, changing the cool, damp rag for a fresher one.

"We'll watch over her, Kiba" Cher winked.

"Cross our hearts" Jasper chimed.

"You do that" Kiba nodded as he shut the back door.

Akira snorted, "You know, some times he really pisses me off with his dominative attitude"

"Yes, but it's cute to see you guys bicker so much." Cher smiled in return, "It really does show how much each of you care for one another. He even admitted that he loves you subtly."

"Don't go saying that to Kiba. It'll give him unwanted ideas" Jasper snorted.

"Yeah, he does that" Akira huffed, unimpressed at the moment.

"Oh Akira" Blue sighed, "Get some sleep, or I'll have to tell on you." she smirked playfully.

"Tattle tale" Akira grinned back and rested her head on her front paws and then closed her eyes, almost falling asleep instantly as the SUV purred to life and started to rumble its way through the snow with running wolves on all sides.

The last thing she could hear was Cheza's small voice as the flower maiden moved to settle against Akira like a pillow and stroked the red fur as she hummed a soft lullaby. Strangely, this one sounded like the one her mother used to sing, the lullaby for a stormy night….

She was out for the count in less than one murmured verse.

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A vicious snarl startled her. She opened her eyes to and found herself knee deep in snow. The wind and snow flakes that had been swirling around her stopped and it seemed that the snow storm had calmed for a moment. The white blanket of virgin snow around her wasn't marred by any foot prints as it covered the land between her and the black shadow in the shape of a wolf that stood dauntingly a few paces in front of her. It was huge- too large to be any normal wolf and its fur was even blacker than Heart's raven, though it didn't have the she-wolfs glossy silken fur. This being radiated madness and darkness, as if he were Wolfbane himself!

"You have betrayed me!" it snarled at her as it took a stalking step forward, raping the flawless cover of virgin snow between them, "You have given yourself to another! You soul is no longer your own for the taking and you hath betrayed me!"

"Betrayed?" Akira yelped in alarm. The sharpness of the deep, accusing voice made her nerves jump and she couldn't help but feel fear zing through her. Every thing she was told her to run, run as far away as fast as she could, "What have I done to you?" she demanded, trying to force courage insider her heart that was cold with sudden fear she couldn't control.

"The blood red moon has but a choice- to burn for the light of the full moon or submit to the darkness of the new moon. when her blood and soul are claimed and her heart is beating not for her own, when she hath made her choice, only then will the flower bloom and paradise shall rain down on her chosen one" the black wolf rehearsed the exact words of the book of the moon, "Your blood has been claimed and your heart beats not for your own! You will submit to me or I'll tear out his own beating heart so yours cannot beat for it!" he snarled at her.

Akira took a few steps back, frightened, "What are you talking about! Who are you?"

"The new moon" he said cryptically, "I am the darkness of the new moon. And you, the heart of the blood red moon will submit to me and give yourself to me so that I shall be your chosen and the one to forge paradise to rain upon me"

Akira felt immediate rebellion. Her fear was still potent as ever, but her rage at his demanding and dominative demeanor toward her as he bullied her and accused her of dishonoring betrayal burned in her blood. Her very wolf side snarled as she reverted to it and her hackles rose as her fur stood on end. She bent her head low and let her jaw drop to show her fangs as her upper lip curled back in a snarl.

"I submit to none of the likes of you" she protested darkly.

"You will submit, even if I have to force it out of you!" the black shape suddenly pierced her with an angry gaze. Her heart stilled as her orange glare was caught up in the pupil-less leer of a blue and golden lustful stare as the black giant of a wolf nearly 3 times her size barreled after her like a bare charging through the snow.

"Bow down to me!" he roared.

"NEVER!" Akira bit back.

She flinched and closed her eyes as he leaped into the air, paws wide apart to capture her between them and needle- pointed teeth and knife-like fangs bore at her, ready to dig inside her flesh.

The attack never came.

Darkness came over her before he even touched her. She felt her body slam into something very hard and was shocked out of the dream when the earth started to tremble with impact.

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Kiba and the other wolves outside of the SUV looked up to the sky in time to see something that resembled a falling star blaze through the darkened sky above them. It seemed so beautiful in all its blinding light, but it felt too ominous and looked too close to be a falling star. Kiba slid to a sudden stop as his instincts screamed at him in alarm- something bad was happening and it was coming at them fast with that strange light!

"What's that!" Toboe panted as he stopped near where Kiba's feet planted themselves.

The other wolves couldn't really say. They all peered at it, momentarily catching their breath while Hub drove the SUV onward. They could easily catch up to him if need be, but something was strange with the path the SUV was headed and the angle the 'star' was shooting in- it looked like it was about to hit the ground just ahead of the SUV….

"OH MY GOD!" Heart gasped in alarm, "Tsume, that's not a star!"

Suddenly alarmed eyes from the rest of the present pack turned to her wild red eyes, but no questions were voiced when the 'falling-star' suddenly impacted the earth and caused the ice beneath them to tremble and snow blast out in debris. The squeal of the breaks on the SUV screamed as the vehicle spun out of control; trying to avoid the sudden trenching cracks of ice that spider-webbed around it, cutting off the car to a deadly drop should it spin too out of control and over the edge. The quick turn wasn't accustom for the large SUV and it suddenly tipped to the side too much with momentum, slamming to its side and sliding to a stop, just shy of dangling over the edge where the steep drop of cut ice slanted below it.

Kiba's heart stopped beating when he realized what had happened. He was on the move before he even realized he had started running again soon as he saw the SUV tipping. His golden wolf eyes wide in fear and panic- Akira was in there!

"AKIRA!!" He cried out, "CHEZAAAAH!"

"BLUE!" Heart gasped as she dashed after Kiba and the fallen SUV with Tsume tailing her and Toboe with Lauralai at his heels.

Blue had to kick open the back door since it was usually only opened from the outside. She tumbled out with Quent slung over her shoulders, groaned and rolled out of the way in time to miss Hige's body slumping after her weakly. He was still weak from his shoulder wound and the strain he was forced to put on it in traveling.

"Oh shit," Hige hissed as he landed on his wound, "What the hell happened?"

"I don't know..." Blue panted as she struggled with her Pop's weight to start getting away from the hazardous SUV, fearing that oil may have leaked out somewhere and that it was suddenly a potential time-bomb waiting for a spark to light its fuse.

Hub managed to shove the driver door up since the car was lying on its side with the driver's side up. He dragged himself out and vaulted over the side of the SUV to the ground at its belly and looked up to wait for Cher and Cheza- the two of them had moved up front with him a while back after Akira had fallen asleep.

"You alright?" He called to Cher as she peaked over and out the car door he'd shoved open.

"More or less" Cher admitted. Hub sighed in relief, "A little stunned, if anything. Here," Cher started to lift Cheza out for Hub to take, "Help me get her down"

"Sure" Hub reached up to take her.

Kiba raced the back of the SUV, "AKIRA!?" he called, ducking his head to look in the back window.

Akira lay on her side in a tangle of her own body with Jasper's protective one cocooned around her on the new 'floor' of the SUV which was once it's side window. The silver wolf looked up to Kiba with relief, "What the hell happened?" he demanded.

"I don't know," Kiba replied in a rush, more worried about Akira rather than the actual cause of the crash, "Is she alright?"

"I think she's just stunned, I managed to absorb most of the impact," Jazz started to lift her away from him, trying to hand her off to Kiba.

She groaned pitifully as Kiba reached in, gabbed her arm carefully to see if she'd broken it. When he sensed she had no tender injuries caused by the sudden wreck, he pulled her out from Jazz's protective embrace to his own as gently as he could and tucked her in his arms, feeling her panted puffs of breath on his neck where she hid her face. Her scent was laced with anxiety and he worried that she had been traumatized.

"Shhh, shhh," He whispered, walking away from the wreckage to the others, "It's okay, I'm here now, your safe" he reassured her as Jasper clamored his way out of the back of the fallen SUV more clumsy than Kiba thought he would. He seemed almost as shaken as Akira.

"The…. The wolf…" she gulped dryly.

"Wolf?" he stopped walking suddenly. Jasper looked to him in alarm, also hearing clearly what his sister had uttered softly in her shocked voice.

Akira nodded into his neck, unwilling to withdraw from his presence just yet as her heart raced with adrenalin pumping in her veins. The dream had felt so real to her…

They waited for her to say more, but she didn't say any more.

"Akira," Jasper started, but a sudden metallic groan behind him startled them. They turned it time to see Hub with Cheza in his arms walking toward them also turned in shock as ice shattered underneath the SUV, making it fall down the cliff below…. With Cher still inside the front cab.

He had turned in time to catch the beautiful blue eyes of his ex-wife and one true love stare surprised up at him before she plummeted with the iron giant down to her icy grave.

"Cher?" Hub whispered in disbelief, his body was shaking. The resounding smash of the SUV to the ice below confirmed his fear. No explosion came, but the sickening crash of ice did, "CHEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRR!"

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Hub cradled the limp form of the blond woman he loved to his chest, crying out in sorrow as he held her cold cheek in the palm of his hand. The truck was turned on its side again, but the tough army build of it ensured that it was other wise unharmed, but Cher didn't have the same fate. She had died instantly on the first impact, but it had been blood-less. She seemed as if she were just asleep in Hub's arms as he cried over her, groaning in his loss while the wolves stood mournfully around him.

Akira had calmed down on the way down the cliff. The wolves had navigated a small path through the cracks to get down there while Hub almost jumped over the edge himself to get to Cher quicker. The red wolf stood at Hub's flank now with her head down cast to him in pain. She had known Cher very well and the woman was a dear friend to her, it hurt to see her die like this, but at least it wasn't painful or gory.

Jasper sat with his back against the cool wall of the ice cliff the SUV had fallen from. His eyes were closed and head bent, he was coughing every now and then, but otherwise didn't move. Lauralai and Toboe were sitting near him with Blue holding her Pops to her and Hige sitting at her back, facing away from the pain-filled seen of Hub holding his loved one to him. Hige felt awkward to be witnessing something so tender and not feeling any ties to the woman. She'd done nothing to him personally, but she hadn't exactly made an impact on his life like she had some of the others either. Heart and Tsume watched on, standing off the side, both with unreadable faces, but Heart's had a familiarity look to her- as if she'd been through this sort of thing before. Finally, Kiba stood at Akira's side, unmoving, with Cheza cradled in his arms. The flower's hazed ruby eyes were narrow with sympathy for the human mortal who wept for his love. She could feel his pain, but it wasn't as strong as it would be if he were wolf.

"Cher…. Please… don't leave me…." Hub begged as he sobbed, "Don't leave me, Cher, you cant die yet" he rest his head to her own, closing his eyes in pain as his heart was torn, "We still have to get that house you wanted- the one in the country. We still have to have a few kids and grow old together watching them grow up. We still have to get a bird and a dog and make bread in the morning and pot-roast at night and….. and….." His voice started to crack up again, "Cher…."

Akira's orange eyes started to tear up as well. She sniffled them back and wiped them away, knowing it was foolish to cry when Hub didn't need to see any more sorrow as he lay his wife to rest in the icy water of the small, yet deep river that cut into the newly formed trench where the SUV had landed just on the bank of.

Just as Hub stood up from letting go of his wife into the deep water, Akira stepped forward, "For what it's worth…. She never stopped loving you when you divorced, Hub" she said softly, "She spoke about you every night when she had night shift back at the lab when I was kept inside with Cheza for observatory reactions"

"I know." Hub replied resignedly.

It made Akira hurt all the more to see the man like this.

"Hub…" she started, but caught Heart's pointed look to be silent. Heart knew what it was like more than anyone about losing ones mate. She lost her own to the soldiers when she was the mate to Tsume's Alpha so long ago. Even though it was strictly political in union, Heart had come to care for her mate during the short time they were together those 2 or 3 years before he died at the end of Jagura's wolf-troopers.

That's when she had fled to Zali's island and met up with Shura and Akira. And even after that, she was reunited with Tsume….

She only hoped Hub would be as lucky as she was and have the chance at healing like she had.

The wolves let the human be in his grief, none of them left or moved to speak to him out of respect. They watched curiously, however, when the blond man squared his shoulders and walked up to the fallen SUV, placed his hands firmly on it's hood that was in front of him and started to push with all his might in hopes of turning it right side up again.

He gritted his teeth and groaned out loud in exertion as he tried to force the vehicle upright again, but it wouldn't budge. It had about 100 tons to his measly l50 lbs or so in the weight department, and Hub's footing slipped against the ice- making him fumble weakly to the ground. That didn't stop the determined human though. He got right back up and started to push with double effort once again while the wolves watched in mild awe at his perseverance- even though his loved one had just died, he got back up and wanted to continue on…. He wanted to go on with them.

Kiba handed Cheza off to Akira silently. Akira looked up at him surprised when he presented her with the flower maiden, but understood soon as their eyes met. She took Cheza and stood back for Kiba to pass as the young man approached Hub's side and started to push with him, startling the human at his sudden help. Hub grinned thankfully and started pushing again, both now groaning in strain.

"This is a sad sight…" Tsume sighed when Hige started to join in and help Kiba and Hub now, "A human, a wounded wolf, and an exhausted idiot trying to over turn an ARMY SUV up right…."

Heart gave him a pointed look and Tsume sighed, "I'll help…" he complied at her smile as she followed him to help as well, nodding to Toboe to come along.

Lauralai looked back to Jasper awkwardly when she noticed he didn't get up to help as well. She saw that his breathing was slightly labored and his eyes were knotted shut tight, beads of sweat trickled down his forehead as his head was tilted back upward and blasted a cough every now and then to the air above him. She approached his side rather than help the others worried of his health and started to check him over- if there was one thing she trusted herself in it was medical diagnostic. Diya had taught her how to look for certain symptoms of different illnesses and her mother before her had actually been the pack doctor when she was but a small pup and before she had run away in a foolish act of adolescent-rebellion.

Akira watched impressed as the men and woman strained as one, slowly tilting the heavy weight of the SUV until it crashed down on all four wheels upright once again, sending swirls of snowflakes all around it. Heart whooted in a job well-done and kissed Tsume to catch him off guard- he truly didn't mind though.

"You did it!" Blue congratulated as Hige hobbled back to her side, "Hige?" she questioned.

"I'm fine, just a bit strained" he groaned.

"Thank you." Hub said to Kiba, "If you don't mind, can I still go on with you?"

"Go on? You mean you still want to go?" Kiba awed.

"It's what Cher would have wanted. She wanted to see you wolves and Cheza make it to paradise. I don't know how far I can go, or if I'll be even able to see paradise myself, but I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you guys get there." Hub nodded.

"Then you're welcome to come along" Kiba replied with a light smile of comradeship, holding out a hand to shake with the human.

Hub took Kiba's offered hand and shook it firmly, "Thank you, you don't know how much this means to me."

"A…Akira…?" Laura gasped.

Cheza's head snapped fearfully over Akira's shoulder as she sensed what was wrong, "Jazz…" she whispered.

Akira turned to face the frightened young she wolf kneeling near Jasper's prone form still leaning against the cliff and panting like he'd just run 20 miles full speed, "What's wrong?" Akira asked in alarm.

"Something's wrong with Jasper…." Lauralai gulped, "He… he's poisoned. I think he's gone blind as well."


	30. Chapter 29 Pitched to the TimelessForest

Chapter 29 Blizzard of Trials

((New)) A/N- I reread the chapters 29 and 30 and found I didn't like a few parts and that I left out a few. Reread and see what u think- this one has more on Jaspers and Toboe's entrance to paradise after they die.

Acknowledgments:

Hellhound, froggy4543, Vixie, Hybrid (yeah, I've noticed I did that unintentionally…), TwiLightzone, alvinfreak676, wolfsbane (Only 4 months…? Well then… Akira will just go by Human terms in this story since I was waaaaaaay off), Sabertooth, QueenofSpades (I don't think she necessarily "Dies"….((evil grin)) ), Venom, White Fang, HottyKat, bloodymary, TheLeopardDemenNovelist (yes, Darcia is the "New Moon"), CrismonTiger, tigerjaw, Blackwidow, freddbing323, Dawn, Dusk (I've noticed you two review simultaneously, do you guys read the chaps a the same time?), sweetooth, Siren, Shurtugal, Savagecreature, Prettykitty67, fannyone325, emilyruby, Quickstrike, stargirl, RedFang, Snowstar, howling1, Furyguy (and I believe that would be all for now…? Right? Did I miss anyone?)

Special thanks to:

TheLeopardDemenNovelist, Shadow and Little Shadow for helping me work out the ideas for this last part of the story you guys rock!

Disclaimer- Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own, Don't own,_** I. DO. NOT. OWN. WOLFSRAIN!**_

Does that get the point across?

Lol!

Read and enjoy --

Chapter 29 Pitched to the Timeless Forest

"Poisoned?" Akira's wide orange eyes were full of fear, 'please don't let him die like mother or Cher!' she begged inwardly.

Hub looked to the sky when he felt the wind around them gust quicker, "Get him and Quent in the back- there's a blizzard coming again! Cheza, you should be there too and anyone else who can fit, but it's not safe to be out in the open of this kind of blizzard."

"We can all pile in some how." Heart nodded, "Tsume, Lauralai, Toboe and I will join you in the front cabin."

"Is there really enough room for all of us?" Toboe blinked, worried about Jasper, but also about the on coming blizzard said to be approaching.

Tsume smirked at the worried young wolf, "Of course, the girls will sit on our laps to make room" the elder wolf teased.

"Wh-what?" Toboe yelped, "Ha-ha, you joking right….? Tsume?"

Tsume chose silence, letting the young wolf stew in his own flustered mind. Well he'd have to get over it- no one needed to be outside for while and it was either let Laura sit on him, or run outside along the SUV in a blizzard. The pup really didn't have a choice.

"Kiba, help me get him inside" Akira strained as she tried to lift her brother who was starting to convulse in pain, "He wont stay still! I cant hold on to him!" she wrapped herself around her brother's bicep to try and hold him still, but he shoved her away blindly in the pain he felt as he started snarl and howl in reaction to the poison finally taking hold of his body. Akira yelped as she was flung to the ground, landing harshly on her side.

"Akira!" Kiba hurried to her, but she stopped him.

"Get him inside!" she demanded, "I'm fine, but he needs to get inside!"

Kiba reluctantly made a grab for her brother, but the taller, stronger wolf snarled and again flailed about to escape the pain he felt. He was no longer in his right mind.

"Tsume!" Kiba hissed as he strained to hold on to the struggling wolf.

Tsume quickly grabbed hold of Jasper and helped Kiba hold him down long enough for both of them to get a better hold on him. They then dragged the struggling wolf to the back of the SUV.

"Damn it!" Tsume growled in frustration at the fight the crazed and in pain wolf put up. He really had to hold on if he didn't want to he swiped by Jaspers elongated claws in human form, "Are there any ropes or chains we can use to hold him down?"

"There's some rope under the front seat." Hub answered and quickly left to retrieve said rope. When he returned, everyone that was able helped hold down the struggling wolf while he was tied down tight enough that he didn't hurt himself or anybody else.

"Isn't there some way we can help him?" Lauralai asked as she looked away from the sight of the wolf snarling and howling in pain.

"Nobody here is a doctor!" Hige replied.

"We can't just leave him like this! He's probably dieing!" Toboe protested.

Cheza pushed her way through the crowd of the man and wolves that huddled around the crazed one roped to submission on the floor of the truck bed. She bent low over the flailing male and put a hand over his forehead. The wolf stilled, but his breathing was still labored and his teeth clenched in pain.

"There is still hope for him." Cheza spoke softly.

"You mean you can save him, Cheza?" Blue said.

"Please," Akira begged Cheza from her side, "Please help him, Cheza…." She was starting to tear up.

Cheza nodded, "This one will do what she can."

The flower maiden then leaned farther over the panting male and let her lips rest on his own in a chaste kiss, shocking the rest of them.

"Che-Cheza??" Kiba yelped.

"What's she doing!" Hige gawked.

They saw the rise and fall of Jazz's chest go from rapid to eventually somewhat even before Cheza leaned back from her 'kiss of life' act. She panted for air and then leaned back down to repeat the process all over again.

"She… she's breathing into him." Heart assumed, "Her healing abilities must be using his respiratory system to get into his blood stream and cleans him of the poison…."

"She can do that?" Lauralai tilted her head curiously.

"Well just look!" Heart nodded to the flower repeatedly breathing into Jasper's mouth until his breathing was even and normal before the flower finally sat back.

"He is safe." Cheza panted, "This one cleansed him of his poison and pain, but was unable to save his sight."

"You mean he's…." Akira's eyes down cast, "He's blind?"

Cheza nodded, "This one is sorry she couldn't do more…"

"No Cheza, you've done enough. Thank you for saving him" Akira hugged the flower maiden who hugged her back and then went limp in Akira's arms, "CHEZA?" Akira yelped in alarm.

"This one is very…. Tired…. She will rest now." Cheza closed her eyes and started to sleep.

Akira smiled, "She wore herself out trying to save him"

"Indeed, but I think she has the right idea. We should all get some rest while we can." Kiba said.

"I'll keep driving." Hub said as he lead Tsume, Heart, Toboe and Lauralai to the front of the SUV while Hige and Blue heaved Quent up into the SUV bed beside Jasper and Kiba took Akira up in his arms while she let Cheza sleep in her own.

For the time being all was peaceful for the exhausted wolves.

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Hub had driven for hours. His passengers that were piled on top of one another in the cab with him were already asleep, even Tsume was snoozing along with Heart nestled in his arms. Hub could feel his eyes hood over as fatigue started to set in. his eyes slowly closed, but he quickly snapped them open, not wanting to fall asleep while driving.

But the hum of the vehicle started to lull him even more into closing his eyes like the rest of them. He was sooo tired…. Besides, it's not like he as to watch out for traffic or landmarks he'd run into. Even though the blizzard was harsh, it was still light enough that he could see well enough ahead and around them- and from what he saw, it was flat. Nothing but flat lands.

Soooo tired…..

His eyes started to close again, and try as he might, they stayed closed a little longer until the driver was also asleep, though the ARMY SUV was still trolling along in the snow….

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Jasper awoke with a start when the SUV lurched forward, "What the hell?" he tried to move, but found he couldn't. Opening his eyes, he found he was blind, "Fuck…." He cursed. Feeling around, he could tell he was tied in ropes that were not going to allow much movement.

"Did you feel that?" Hige awoke as well.

Blue yawned at his side, but choked it back when the SUV lurched again, this time it was like they were tipped forward…..

"What's going on?" she said in alarm.

"We've stopped…" Kiba assessed where he held tightly to Akira and Cheza.

"Wonderful, now, I have a question," Jasper growled, "WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE UNTIE ME AND TELL ME WHO TURNED OUT THE LIGHTS!"

"You're just blind, Jazz." Kiba snorted back.

"Ha-Ha funny, Snowflake." Jasper growled back while Blue worked to untie him.

"We're serious, Jazz." Akira said softly, "You were poisoned and almost died, but Cheza saved you…. though she couldn't do anything to help with your blindness."

"So…. I really am…. Blind?" that was a bit much to take in for someone who felt like he just woke up from a nightmare. All he remembered was going down the cliff to find Cher, and then it all went black from there. The rest of his memories only included excruciating pain.

A scream from the SUV cab alarmed them. Hige slid open the small window that connected the two parts of the SUV, "What's going on up there!"

"We're….." Hub gulped, "We're teetering on the edge of a cliff…."

"A CLIFF! HOW THE HELL DID WE GET HERE!" Jasper demanded.

"Smart boy here fell asleep while driving" Tsume groused.

"Well excuse me for being a human battling fatigue- AAAHH!" the SUV leaned further down the edge of the cliff with the light shift in weight.

"Don't anybody MOVE!" Kiba commanded.

Hardly anyone breathed…..

"Alright…. Now how do we get out of this…?"Akira asked tentatively.

"Tsume," Kiba called, not daring to move, "What do you see over the cliff?"

"We're looking down at it" Tsume called back, "We already _**are **_over it."

"Then what do you see?" Kiba insisted.

"Darkness" Heart called back. Fear laced in her usually strong voice, "We can't see the bottom"

"How big is the cliff? Can you see the other side?"

"No" all of the occupants in the front cab replied with varying heights of fear in their voices.

"It's like we're falling off the edge of the world." Lauralai gasped.

"Ha! So it is flat!" Hige chortled.

"HIGE!" everyone snapped.

The SUV groaned as it leaned at a tilt further toward the cliff.

"I swear, if anybody moves….." Tsume threatened.

Cheza's eyes brightened up, "The Tree of Ages…." She whispered.

"Cheza?" Akira yelped when the flower started to try and move away from her, "NO CHEZA! DON'T MOVE!"

"The Tree of Ages is down there!" Cheza gasped.

The SUV pitched forward face first down into the darkness.

"CHEZAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" Akira screamed as they started free falling.

"GET EVERYONE BACK HERE!" Kiba shouted.

Tsume all but tossed everyone from the front through the small window to the back before diving back there himself.

"EVERYBODY HANG ON!" Hub called.

"NO SHIT SHERLOCK!" Tsume snarled as they fell down in a heart stopping free fall for what seemed like hours.

When they finally did stop, everyone blacked out as they were thrown against something hard from the interior of the SUV with a resounding CRASSSSH!

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"Ieee-YAH, Ieee-YAH!" a flapping of feathers flew over head as the bird cawed out.

Kiba hurt everywhere…. His head was killing him from its insistent light throbbing- not quite painful but enough to make a man wish for the pain just so it would numb it, "Ummmph…." He groaned, twitching his muscles to see if every thing was still intact, "What the hell…. Just happened?"

"We fell off a cliff, isn't it obvious?" that was Jasper's voice!

Kiba's eyes snapped open and stared at the alien-like world around him. This was not his typical destroyed terrain he was used to. This place was the opposite of wasteland material, even the forest of death didn't have so many trees…. And so much green too. It was so moist and dark here, he guessed because of the cluster of the trees, the sunlight was unable to reach so far down. He was sure humans like Quent or Hub wouldn't be able to see very well, maybe only distinctive shadows….

"Echy, Echy, CAAAAAAAAAAAAW!" some animal called out in the darkness. The forest was livid with those strange sounds he'd never known before. There was no hoot of an owl, just jitters and chatters of strange exotic birds or some other type or animals. His nose was assaulted with so many scents he instinctively started to breathe through his mouth just to save himself the onslaught.

"Jazz, are you alright?" Kiba said softly. His voice was unable to raise much since it was so sore from stress of the fall or something, all he knew was that it was too damned hard to talk than it should be!

"Oh, I'm fine, save for the fact that I can't see a fuck'n thing…" the other wolf mumbled sarcastically. Kiba could see the blond easily in the dark, the green eyes shined with the glint every predator had at night, a sure sign of nocturnal vision, but Kiba knew the other man couldn't see anything right now- he was blind. The only fact showing to that little tidbit of weakness in Jasper was the dullness in the eyes and the lack of shimmer of visual recognition. The blue eyed man hardly noticed the strange color of the usually two-colored eyed wolf….. He was too distracted to realize that although unseeing, Jazz's eyes were BOTH green.

"Where… where are we?" the dark brunette man looked around for the others. The SUV had tumbled in the trees and was hanging in the thick branches above their heads on its side with the front doors still closed shut. He could see Toboe and Lauralai unconscious and plastered to the window and could only just barely make out Heart and Tsume behind them. He knew Hub had to be up there as well. The SUV was tilted back a bit and the back door looked like it had been torn off. He quickly found the missing door laying not so far away from him and Akira who was still protectively in his arms. He had held tightly to her torso as if she were a doll and her legs were stretched out along his own, he had taken the brunt of the fall as she was on top of him. They had landed on some plushy-feeling mossy stuff that had a bounce to it when he moved- like a mattress to a bed almost. He couldn't say it wasn't comfortable. Hige and Blue lay near one another to his right, just below the SUV stuck in a tree above them. He noticed that Jasper had a firm hold on Cheza who lay bridal-style in his arms. For a blind guy, the silver wolf seemed like he was still good enough to move to be a superhero.

Strangled, confused moans alerted Kiba to Quents body that lay strewn on his side. The old man convulsed a minute and then shot up to sit straight as a board, gasping for breath. The old man sat on the other side of the steel door that had fallen between him and Hige and Blue. He looked around confused, "Where…. Where the hell am I?"

"The center of the Earth probably. We're still somewhere near the North Pole, even with this heat." Jasper answered smoothly, unable to see the shocked, unbelieving look on the humans face.

"What do you mean 'Center of the Earth'?" Quent demanded.

"Just what I said 'The Center of the Earth'." Sensing the other two males' confusion, Jasper sighed, "Don't tell me you've never heard of the Tree of Ages' home? You didn't really think you'd find the oldest known living thing on Earth to survive up there on the surface in the North Pole, did you?"

"Obviously we haven't" Tsume grunted from above, "TOBOE PUT MORE BACK INTO IT!" the sound of slamming metal could be heard rhythmically as if someone were bashing against the interior of the SUV's front cab.

"You sure this is a good idea, Tsume?" Toboe whined.

"You wanna get out of here don't you?"

"Yeah," Toboe slammed the door again, "But what happens when the door opens- which we happen to be laying on top of- GWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" the door swung open with a groan and out dropped the other four wolves and unconscious human to the bouncy moss stuff below.

"Hey what is this stuff?" Heart yelped as she bounced lightly upon impact to the usually hard ground. No one was hurt in the fall, but it was still unsettling to BOUNCE on the PLUSHY ground…

"Wh… what's all this?" Laura eeped frightened by all the close and vibrant plant life, sounds and suddenly very, very diverse smells. It was also very hot and humid- something none of the wolves had ever felt in the atmosphere before. Cheza seemed to preen in the new change of habitat, even if she was still resting with in Jasper's arms.

"We're at the sacred lands of the Tree of Ages. It was passed down through many tribes and animals as folklore and even referred to as the Garden of Eden. The Tree of Ages withstands time and every thing that ever was extinct before has at least a few survivors in this trench. It's like a separate world below our world's surface, the world that survived our mistakes on the surface."

"But how are the plants growing with out sunlight? I can barely see here" Toboe asked.

"The tree of ages has been absorbing nutrients through out the entire earth's crust since the beginning of time. Its roots extend the entire forest, so I can imagine that all these plants have tapped into the roots and use the plentiful moisture and water around here for food." Jasper supposed.

"So we've made it to the Tree of Ages?" Laura asked hopeful.

"No, the Tree of Ages resides on the mountain at the heart of the Timeless Forest- the forest that is said to need no light of the sun and has creatures that haven't been seen for thousands of years." Jasper was starting to sound like an old story teller now.

"You telling me that we have to trek through this forest that has creatures we've probably never even heard of and then climb ANOTHER stupid mountain, just to get to the Tree of Ages?" Tsume grumbled.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Jasper nodded, unseeingly.

"This is fuck'n BULLSHIT! All of it!" Quent staggered to his feet, "You wolves have abducted me and sent me to another realm! Well I ain't going down with outta fight! I can't stay here!" Quent ran off into the trees, "GO FIND YOUR TREE OF SHIT ON YOUR OWN! I'M GETTING OUTTA THIS LOONEY BIN!"

"Fool" Jasper sighed, "That's the worst thing he can do right now- go out on his own. Especially for a human."

"Why is that?" Toboe asked.

"Think about it- where there's plants there's grazers, where there's grazers there's predators, and these predators haven't seen a human burger in a very, very long time. He'll be easy prey to them." Jasper said, "But if the idiot wants to die in someone's stomach, let him"

"What about BLUE? We can't just let him go off on his own when he's so important to Blue!"

"Then YOU go after him." Tsume snorted.

"Fine, you know what? I will!" Toboe darted off after Quent.

"Toboe?" Lauralai stood up in wolf form in alarm, "Toboe! Wait for me! Didn't you just hear them? It's dangerous out here!" she started to follow, but Jasper made a noise to stop her.

"The last thing you youngsters can do is go off on your own in the jungle. Take me with you. If you'll be my eyes, I can guide you through it and get you all back."

"Yes, take the blind one to GUIDE you somewhere." Tsume scoffed.

"I DON'T SEE ANY OF YOU VOLENTEERING! SO I'LL GO!" Jasper snapped as he gently set down Cheza who gladly snuggled up to the base of one of the many giant trees surrounding them and practically purred. Lauralai walked over to him, helped him up and walked at his side, being sure to guide him as they followed Toboe and Quents path at a slower pace.

"Well NOW what do we do?" Tsume barked in disgust.

"Will you can it already?" Kiba growled, "Some of us are still unconscious" he looked pointedly down at Akira who had yet to wake up.

"So wake her up already." Tsume bit back.

"It's not good to wake up people like this, what if she has a head injury? She, Hige, Blue and Hub should wake up on their own." Heart replied, looking worriedly down at Hub who didn't even appear to be breathing. She hoped he was just breathing lightly.

"This one senses that something wicked this way comes" Cheza said as her big ruby eyes looked around the trees around them, "The trees greet us, but they say danger has also sensed us. They urge us to the Tree of Ages"

"We're not going anywhere until Jasper comes back with the others. We'll leave no one behind" Kiba said with finality. He shifted Akira in his arms to a more comfortable position, "For now, everyone get some rest and be on the look out."

An anonymous snarl and howl in the forest cut off most of the noises that surrounded them. It didn't sound like anything the wolves had ever heard, but it didn't sound close. It wasn't canine, for sure. The birds started twittering again, easing the wolves for only a fraction.

"Let's hope they get back here before whatever made that finds us too…" Heart gulped.

Kiba rested his head back on top Akira's own when a flash of movement in the trees caught his eyes….

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"Damn JUNGLE!" Quent snarled as he had to almost bodily push the foliage out of his way, "THERE'S A REASON WE CUT IT ALL DOWN!"

The branches he'd been shoving against suddenly went lax and he went tumbling forward. Before, he'd had to shove to get through the foliage, but now it was like they simply moved out of the way- sending him fumbling forward off balance and rolling down a softly steep slope, crashing his way down to the bottom. Once he slid to a stop on his stomach, he groaned pitifully.

"I really hate nature like this…. Where the hell is the exit anyways?" he stilled suddenly as his body instinctively went on high alert to the soft, warning growl that reverberated somewhere nearby. A flash of wolves in the fire back at Koreros flashed in his mind. He shook it away as Blue's words came back to him.

'_The wolves never were the ones who killed mom and your boy, pops! The soldiers destroyed them and the town because there were rumors about wolves hiding out near the town! It wasn't their fault!_" she had cried out to him.

"Wasn't their fault?" Quent repeated softly to himself as he lay on the grassy mossy floor of the rainforest like habitat around him, "Of course it was their fault, there's no way I've lived all these years for some lie like that…. It has to be a lie…. No this couldn't be just some misunderstanding. It HAD to be the wolves!" he grimaced, seeing the hurt look in those big blue eyes of the woman he knew was his part-wolf companion, "It cant be just a misunderstanding! I just can't! I would never live a lie and I know what I saw! WOLVES!" he snarled.

What surprised him, was an answering snarl. It was nothing like the harsh rumble of a wolf he had known for so long. He lived to hear that snarl right as he planted a bullet in their goddamned pelts! But this one was nothing like those devils, it was more sinister and …. Purr like. Like a feline….

But big cats of the animal kingdom had been erased from the face of the planet since before wolves were pronounced 'extinct'.

He held back a shudder as he could almost FEEL that he was no longer alone. Looking cautiously over his shoulder, he saw the devil himself stalking curiously up to him. It was a large golden yellow cat with black paw-print-like out lined dark orange spots. Yellow-green cold eyes observed him with a cool hunger of predatory glean in them and made it very hard to breath for Quent. He'd never felt so much like a caught rabbit in all his life! The cat's whiskers twitched as its lips pulled back from its teeth as it opened its mouth to take in a stronger scent of him, showing off its long, needle sharp teeth that were blood stained from a previous meal. Quent hopped it wasn't still hungry or anything! He stayed perfectly still as the great cat bent its head to sniff at his legs. It pulled back and hissed at him when it caught the movement of his hand inching down the other side of his body where his hidden rifle was strapped to his leg.

With speed acquired from killing raging wolves, Quent whipped out the rifle and cocked it at the ready and shot at the large cat. It leaped away from him in surprise unleashing a surprised, yet angered roar. With blinding speed it bent its lithe body around to attack Quent. Standing on its high legs, it towered over him almost bear-like. Teeth and claws at the ready to tare into his weak flesh.

He haphazardly shot again blindedly. The bullet grazed the cat's shoulder and made it convulse away, confused that its prey had harmed it with out even touching it. It backed away cautiously, but its yellow-green eyes were calculating the man's every move while Quent fumbled to load his gun again with out looking at what he was doing- not daring to take his eyes away from the stalking predator pacing an invisible line between them at least 25 feet away, just in front of the tree line.

It seemed to sense his sudden hesitation and vulnerability since his 'fire stick thing' wasn't shooting at him. The leopard crouched and moved forward in satisfaction, ready to take down its new challenging prey. Its eyes held Quents captive in the seductive fearfulness they had on him. His body could barely move he was so afraid.

"I will not die by the claws of some bastard beast from a wretched alien JUNGLE!" he snarled angrily, finally finishing reloading his gun with shaking hands and taking aim, but the cat was upon him. It leaped up on his chest, taking him down and slamming the air out of him with its weight. Its teeth and claws clawed and snapped for his neck while he held it at bay barely with the length of his gun.

"GET OFF HIM!" Toboe snarled as he barreled into the cat's side, surprising the predator even more. It hissed and roared as it clawed back at Toboe while it jumped away from the human in surprise to whirl on the wolf.

Toboe didn't know what he was doing! This was nothing like that walrus! The walrus was 20 stories high and big and bumbily on land, but this thing was like an over sized strangely spotted house cat trained to kill! It moved like lightning as it attacked him, it was all Toboe could do to avoid it, even though its deadly claws snagged him more than once as it snarled and hissed its rage at him, bearing its saber-like fangs at him in all their blood-stained glory. He knew this cat knew how to kill and did it for a living to survive while he had always had the others for help.

The leopard pinned the young wolf to the ground after Toboe slipped and fell down. It was upon him before he was even all the way on the ground yet! The large cat's fangs dove for Toboe's throat, but Toboe moved out of the way just in the nick of time yet the fangs still dug painfully into his shoulder. Toboe screamed and howled in pain as he lashed out with his hide legs to try and scratch the cat's sensitive belly, trying to shove the beast off that weighed much more than any wolf Toboe had ever roughed around with. The young wolf struggled to get out from under the giant cat that had its fangs latched into his shoulder and massive paws holding him down by his torso, pushing him into the ground. He could barely breathe with the leopard pushing down heavily on his chest where his lungs were unable to take in much air. He could feel himself weaken from lack of air and the blood loss of his minor wounds and the major one the leopard was making bigger and bigger by torturously sinking its saber fangs in slowly deeper and deeper….

'I… I don't wanna die here, but….' Toboe struggled almost feebly, 'I can't hold on…. Much longer….'

"TOBOEEEEEEEEE!" Lauralai screamed.

The leopard was once again rammed into, causing Toboe immense pain since the fangs were ripped away from his shoulder as well. The young wolf coughed as Lauralai rushed up to him and started to drag him safely away from the fight now between a blind wolf and a, yet again, confused and even more furious leopard that doubled back from its roll back on the ground and leaped at the unseeing Jasper.

"L-Laura… get outta… h-here." Toboe shivered. His fear was still in high gear from fighting with that lightning fast beast.

"Don't be ridiculous! I'm not going anywhere!" Laura said fiercely as she dragged Toboe to Quents' side and looked both the shocked human and the wounded wolf over, "It's nice to see you awake sir." She smiled at Quent.

"Wha-- what the hell is that?" Quent finally asked pointing at the cat and wolf ripping away at one another than leaping back only to rip away again soon as one of them made a faulty move- which was mostly Jasper since he could only hear, smell, feel, or guess what the leopard was going to do or just where it was when it leaped away from tearing at him.

"I don't know. I've never seen one before, but Jasper called it a leopard." Laura said, eyeing the large cat nervously as its hungry gaze shifted from the blind foe it fought to the vulnerable human, wounded wolf and young female wolf. She could tell it knew that they'd be easy to pick off, but it was preoccupied with the way Jasper valiantly fought to distract the predator of the jungle. One could hardly tell Jasper was blind by the way he fought, so long as they were with in close contact, Jasper seemed to know how to react, avoid and attack the great cat, but when the leopard jumped back away, all he could do was listen and wait for the cat's next move, which was usually charge full speed at him to take him down.

"A leopard? How would he know what it was?" Quent asked doubtfully.

"He was a guard for a lab in FreeCity, right? They studied extinct animals all the time, so he'd probably know more about animal history than any of us would or could ever guess." Toboe answered with a grunt of pain when Lauralai pressed a leaf into his would a bit too hard.

"I recognize some of these plants from what the village elder taught me of herbs! This one should stop the bleeding and help with the pain." She said, "I've never seen it so fresh like this though, it just might work faster now!"

"Thank you" Toboe breathed.

Jasper managed to wrestle the cat under him when the leopard charged again. This time, he guessed right in where it came from and side stepped it, ducking low to snag its hind leg with his jaws and yanked the cat to the ground using its off balance from charging head long at him. The wolf was almost as large as the cat so the leopard had a harder time shoving its weight around with him than it did with the much smaller Toboe. It hissed and snarled in rage as it twisted around to fight back, but Jasper kept up with it. They rolled around the forest floor until the cat was once again on top. It reared back and raised its clawed paw in the air to smack powerfully at Jasper. Jaspers hind legs pulled up and kicked the cat squarely in the chest. It rammed on its back into a boulder that balanced two other large rocks on the crest of it. One wobbled loose and fell on the cat that was too slow to escape from under it. A feline scream echoed the forest as the great cat was trapped under the large rock and the boulder behind it, but Jasper could still smell it alive.

The blind wolf snorted at the cat and stood up. His heart still pounded in his ears as he wobbly straightened and staggered over toward where he smelt the others were.

"Jasper! Are you alright?" Lauralai was upon him the moment she finished tending to all of Toboe's wounds. She rushed to his side and led him back to where Toboe was.

"I'm fine, just….. Didn't expect that I'd be able to take on a LEOPARD when I'm blind as an old human." Jasper panted.

"HEY!" Quent snarled.

Lauralai tried to get Jasper to lay down so she could tend to him, but he refused, "We need to get back to the others as soon as possible and get to the mountain at the heart of the forest as fast as possible! There should be much worse of creatures here than that leopard!" the blind wolf started back in the direction he came, but a dark shape passed his vision and his heart thumped as well as an all too familiar chill ran up his spine. The green-eyed wolf turned to see a large, black-sable wolf with insane gold and blue eyes, much like Jasper himself had had a green and blue eye. He instantly knew who this was…

"Why, brother wolf, what a surprise to see you here of all places…. No that you can see your dear master anymore." Darcia's deep voice chuckled, "I really must thank you for that though. If it weren't for the diminishing blood of yours inside me that helped me find my wolf form, I would never have gotten rid of my share of that poison, but your body was kind enough to transfuse all of my share into your own blood before we were sealed from one another."

"You mean… YOU'RE the one who blinded Jasper?" Lauralai's voice quivered in fear.

"More or less. The poison would have simply made us sickly with fever for a while, nothing damaging unless it was over dosed which probably happened since he took my share as well. What a good little puppy he is, hmm?" the black bear of a wolf pulled up his lips from his teeth in a sickly insane smile. He made shivers go up all of their spines.

"You…. you BASTARD!" Jasper snarled. His fur stood on end, "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DID THIS TO ME! YOU HURT CHEZA! YOU STIKED FEAR IN AKIRA, AND MOST OF ALL- YOU KILL MY MOTHER!"

"Then charge at me" the wolf goaded, "Attack me and show me what a traitor I am. Kill me, brother wolf, if you can." Darcia chuckled darkly, "But beware, your friends could easily get in the way and you wouldn't notice it until it were too late- thinking they were me."

Jasper snarled as he hesitated, knowing Darcia was right. With out his sight and with his senses going haywire in his rage, Jasper couldn't concentrate enough to pinpoint Darcia properly. He just knew the bastard would endanger the others and enjoy watching Jasper accidentally attacking them.

"What's the matter? Are you afraid of me now?" Darcia's deep voice mocked. He turned to the others when Lauralai gasped, "Don't worry little ones, I wont mindlessly attack any of you, so long as you turn back now. This is holy lands my family has been watching over for generations. You and your pitiful pack have brought HUMANS into our sacred lands where no man has touched since God banished Adam and Eve from this very garden. None of you may go any further to the Tree of Ages."

"You can't tell us who can and can't go to paradise" Jasper said lowly as he tried to keep a tap on his rage that boiled inside of him. He could feel his blood demand that Darcia be ripped to shreds with his own fangs and claws, but knew it was wiser to wait for Darcia himself to attack first like he had for the leopard.

"Cant I?" the wolf chuckled, "I am the New Moon. One of the three wolves prophesied to open and bring paradise's rein upon all of lupine kind the like. I say I have more than enough right to decide who and who wont be seeing paradise at all, and I forbid any traitors from going any closer to my paradise"

"That's the pot calling the kettle black, you know" Lauralai bravely hissed as she stood between Darcia and the wounded Toboe and shocked Quent bravely. Her fur stood on end and her tail high in the air.

Darcia reverted to his human form and Quents eyes went wide with fear as he recognized that face from his nightmares. The man with the human and wolf eye… the one who changed into a large black wolf of his nightmares of the night his wife and child died in the that fire- that wolf-man was laughing at him in the fire as the screams of his loved ones called out to him.

Quent stood sharply and whipped out his gun, taking aim at the ready, surprised to see Darcia also taking out a hand gun and cocked it readily at Quent.

"I don't think that would be wise, old one. Put down the weapon or I'll kill you and the others where you stand." Darcia warned softly.

"The HELL I am!" Quent spat back, "I saw you in that fire at Koreros! I know it was YOUR fault!"

Darcia didn't say anything in his own defense, and merely smiled at the man as if to mock him. Quents anger rose higher as he shifted his gun, finger quivering around the trigger. He didn't know why he was hesitating to kill the bastard! Why can't he just SHOOT?!

Toboe's eyes widened as he realized Laura was in range of the crossfire of both guns. He knew that if one of the bullets strayed, it was her life on the line. The young red-brown wolf forgot all of his wounds and the pain he felt and quickly stood up, leaping at Lauralai to shove her down for cover. The sudden movement startled Quent to pulling the trigger just as Toboe's body crossed his gun's aiming range. The bullet struck Toboe in the side and he fell limply on Laura who screamed in terror.

"TOBOE!" she moved from under him and shook him, "Toboe? Toboe! Come on, get up!" she pleaded. Toboe barely moved as he panted for breath. Lauralai noticed the bullet wound that was still sizzling with heat of the barrel it had just been shoved through in the gun. It was dangerously close to his heart and lungs, "Oh no…." she started to cry.

"Oh my…. God…" Quent fell to his knees, "I didn't…. I…. I couldn't….." he stared blankly at the fallen young wolf and the gun in his hands. He threw the gun away as if it had burned him. It smacked into a tree and shot another bullet that was loaded in it. The bullet shot throw the rock covering the leopard and made it shift slightly, but it was enough to let the trapped cat to find an escape.

No one had noticed it but Jasper though. They were all focused on Toboe.

Darcia walked calmly up to the human and young wolf that was bent over the fallen brown wolf that the old one had shot on accident. His pistol in hand, he held it up to the humans head, stilling Quent for a moment.

"The inevitable has come for you. Take your punishment for returning to the Timeless Forest of God and go to hell." The noble said.

And enraged roar sounded and startled Darcia to whirl around. He barely had time to defend himself as the now freed leopard shot out from under the large rock and pounced at him since he was the first it saw. The cat shoved him to the ground with its weight and clawed at his chest, trying to get it fangs to clamp around his throat as it snapped its deadly jaws down at him.

Darcia shoved it away and spotted Jasper near the rock. He quickly assumed that the silver wolf had helped the leopard out and then backed out of the way so the enraged feline would attack Darcia and not himself.

"BASTARD!" Darcia snapped as he was attacked by the leopard again. This time he grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and hurled it at Jasper, who bravely didn't move and let the cat tackle him to the ground near a fallen tree with sharp wood that had snapped into spear-like points from where it had snapped in two.

"Go. To. HELL- DARCIA!" Jasper knew he promised Cheza he wouldn't commit suicide to kill Darcia, but the large cat posed as an opportunity and Jasper was willing to sacrifice himself to kill the devil himself.

The leopard shoved Jasper down harder as it sunk its fangs into his throat. Jasper didn't fight it, but felt it scream in pain as it ripped out his throat. With his last few seconds of consciousness, Jasper looked down to see one of the spear like roots from the fallen tree had been shoved into the leopards stomach when it obliviously shoved him down closer to the roots and then leaned in forcefully to take his throat out. Jasper sighed as the darkness of death over took him, barely feeling the weight of the cat above him fall limply to his chest as it died along with him.

"J-Jasper?" Lauralai's voice was barely above a whisper as she was hyperventilating. First Toboe died on accident, then Jasper sacrifices himself to kill Darcia….

"The fool…" Darcia grinned, "The blood bond is no longer. It doesn't matter to me if he lives or dies now that I have my wolf blood back. He and I ceased to be tied together just after I transfused all the poison to him."

Lauralai fell forward on one hand and her knees as her other hand gripped at her pounding heart. She couldn't take it! She was having a panic attack. Flashes of the way her pack had died around her as a pup flashed in her eyes. The day her real mother had shielded her from the soldier's guns by falling over her when she died came back to her. The next thing she had remembered was Diya finding her after the soldiers had left. With out Diya, Laura knew she would have stayed under her fallen mother until she died of hunger or over stress. She felt so weak and so frustrated with herself that now she was grown, but she did nothing to help Toboe or Jasper as they died for her sake and the others.

"You…. you wretched…. Wretched MONSTER!" Lauralai roared as she stood up in her wolf form once again and attacked Darcia. She caught him off guard and was able to sink her fangs into his side before he kicked her away. She slammed into a tree painfully on her back. The wind knocked out of her and rendered her immobilized for a while as she tried to breathe again.

Her ears twitched at the sound of a cocked gun. Looking up, she saw Darcia pointing his pistol at her. She didn't take her bright red wolf eyes away from him as she glared in defiance.

"All wolves must be created stupid." Darcia growled, "If you really want to join your friends in hell, than you should have just said something!"

Lauralai winced as she heard the boom of the gun, but she didn't fell the impact of a bullet. Opening her eyes one at a time, she saw that Darcia had been shot instead of HER! Tracing her eyes to where Darcia glared at the offender while he held his same side she had wounded him in, she found Quent holding his rifle that was smoking as if he had just shot it.

"How's that for a foolish human?" Quent grunted as he started to load again, but wasn't able to do it fast enough before a bullet to the head shot at him from Darcia's pistol.

"You're still so foolish, human." Darcia rasped at the fallen man who fell at Toboe's side, dead before impact to the ground.

Lauralai gasped for breath and struggled to stand as Darcia approached her. She screamed as he put a hand to her shoulder and shoved her back into the tree behind her.

"Shut up, wench!" he commanded her with a backhanded slap to her face, "I'm leaving you to live, but only because I know Kiba and the others will seek you out sooner or later. Give him this message for me. Tell him that I am waiting for him at the heart of the jungle where I will take what is mine away from him. He has stolen my mate and I will steal her back and reclaim her blood as mine!"

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"Jasper….. Jasper" a soothing voice called out to him. It sounded celestial to him, hearing that soothing voice he knew so well after so much pain in death….

"Jazz, my boy, wake up will you." that was his father now…. He must be dreaming.

"Oh, hush" that was… that was Shura's voice, "He's had a rough time down there, let him rest in peace"

"He IS resting in peace, dear" Sasuke chuckled.

Jasper's head shot up, his green eyes wide in surprise to find himself in an endless field of lunar flowers and tall green grass. There was a sunny sky above with fluffy white clouds that caste shadows on the ground below like patches over the flowers and rolling hills. A gentle breeze whisked by, fluffing the wolf's fur.

"Wha- where am I?" he thought aloud.

"Where do you think young one?" Jasper turned to the new voice. It was an old lady who sat in a random rocking chair in the middle of the sea of flowers. She was knitting a sweater in her hands while she rocked back and fourth. Her gray hair fell down her back in gentle waves that were tied in a perfect braid. She wore a red shawl over her shoulders and a gray old-style dress on. Her spectacles rested on the bride of her nose as her gentle brown eyes looked at him just above them, "You've arrived in paradise, our heaven"

"Who is she?" Jasper tilted his head curiously.

"This is granny" Toboe's head popped up from the flowers he lay in at 'granny's' side. The pup's tongue lolled out to the side in a happy pant, "She's the one who woke me up too! She raised me when I was younger, I never thought I'd ever see her again!" he smiled up at granny who smiled back and patted his head.

"I'm so happy to finally see my little Toboe again- I never knew I could talk with him like this." Granny nodded.

"Heaven has its ways of taking down language barriers. Here, there is no such thing as different languages. We simply all know and understand one another- it's that peaceful here. The true paradise that is hidden behind the barrier of life and death…" Diya said serenely as she lifted her head to embrace the on coming warm breeze that curled around them in its gently welcoming embrace as if the very essence of paradise were hugging Toboe and Jasper in welcome.

"This…. This is paradise?" Jasper looked around. Now that he looked, he could see many other animals, not only wolves, roaming the hills of paradise. There were red wood forests that lined the very far outskirts of the seemingly endless field of flowers they were in and the clouds above them started to frame the sunlight in a heavenly way. He felt a warmth he never did before.

Looking back to the eyes of his parents and step mother he couldn't contain the smile he held onto for so long. Tears started to fall down his cheeks, "I… I'm really in paradise…?"

"Yes, son, you've returned to us" Sasuke approached his son and curved his neck around Jaspers own in a wolf hug, "I've missed you my son. You've done well in your promise to protect your sister while in the living"

"But… but I didn't" Jasper took a step back and pulled away from his fathers embrace, "It was too late to commit suicide" Jasper closed his eyes and looked away, too ashamed to look his father in the face, "I… the blood bond was already broken when the leopard took my life"

"No, Jasper," Diya stepped forward and licked her adopted son's face, "You did all you could to protect the ones you loved" she smiled at him, "And I kept my promise- we meet again in paradise"

"Mother…" Jasper nuzzled his nose into her fur, taking in her scent and knowing she was really here with him in paradise.

"Papa, whose this?"

Jasper looked down surprised to see three pups at Shura's and Sasuke's feet. The only male pup that looked like a minni-Sasuke stood before his sisters and tilted his head at Jasper in a way the family was known for, "He doesn't look like us"

"Son, this is your older brother, Jasper" Sasuke nudged the pup toward Jasper who lowered his muzzle to be nearly eye to eye with the young male pup.

"Hey there" Jasper greeted.

The pup puffed up, "I'm not afraid of you!" he said mightily.

"You don't need to be" Jasper chuckled, nudging the pup on its back with his nose and tickled him playfully.

Toboe sighed happily as his old lady scratched behind his ear fondly, "He seems really happy to be home, doesn't he?" she remarked quietly to themselves, "Are you happy as well, dear Toboe?"

Toboe wanted to say yes to the woman who raised him like a second mother, but he turned away, unable to get the words out of his mouth when his heart clenched in pain.

"Toboe….?" The woman stopped petting him and looked down at her pup, noticing his solemn look, "Ah, you left someone behind that you've come to love didn't you" she smiled sadly at him.

If Toboe were human, he would have blushed, "I… I…" he looked from her knowing face to the flowers around them nervously and embarrassed that his heart was so easily read.

"I'm sure you two will meet again, dear Toboe. If your love was meant to be, it won't be long before your spirits reunite in paradise" the old woman reassured as she went on knitting.

Toboe looked up to her in awe and sighed, looking to the cloud-covered sun that sent a heavenly-like beam upon the land.

'Lauralai….. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you how I feel when I was alive…. I'm sorry I failed you' he thought.


	31. Chapter 30 The Extinct

Chapter 30 The Exstict

((NEW)) A/N- so I went reading on my last two chaps and found I didn't like the way they turned out too much (that happens when u write chapters at 3 o'clock in the freakn morning) so I went back and revised the last chap and this one. This one has more of what Akira thinks about what's going on. Don't worry, there's more about it in the next chapter to come, I just wanted to fix these two up to liking! Reread and enjoy if u want

Special thanks- TheLeopardDemenNovelist, and Shadow and little shadow- YOU GUYS ROCK!!

Acknowledgements-

Quickstrike, Vixie, wolfsbane, sweetooth, Wildcreature, Prettykitty67, howling1, QueenofSpades, Hellhound, bloodymary, Furyguy, froggy4543, Amber, Sabertooth, Dawn, Dusk, Venom, TwiLightzone, stargirl, Snowstar, Dhole, gossipgirl, blackpanther, Shurtugal, alvinfreak676, HottyKat, SilenceofDoom, little shadow, Shadow, WargishBoromirFan, Emeraldragon, Blackwidow, FangsofFury, freakingod, Carnage, WildKat, lucky, AngelOfVengeance ((Is that all of you? Good!))

Alright, now here's a question for u guys- I'm currently looking for a good published book to read ((when I'm not near a pc to jump on my many favored fanfic sites)) so if any of you know some good romance/whatever novels (I typically like vampire things, were wolves, shapeshifter things- yeah, I'll read anything really, even history type, but please let me hear your oppions! If u like this fic then u'll typically like to read what I love to read, so let me hear it! Please put the title and author if you can.

Now on to the story!

Chapter 30 The Extinct

Kiba started to get antsy as time lumbered on slowly and still no sign of a return for Jasper and the pups with Quent at all. Akira had yet to wake up while everyone else besides Hub was wide awake now and looking around their new surroundings. No one dared to wander around though; they all sat close together, safely away from the suspended SUV that hung above them in the thick branches. Blue had wanted to go after her Pops, but Cheza assured her that Jasper would take care of him. Though that really did little to assuage Blue's nervousness since she knew that Jasper was a helpless blind wolf….

But she took Cheza's word for it and lay as close to Hige's side as she could, looking around strangely at the jungle they'd awakened to.

"Don't you think it's been more than enough time for Jasper to of found that old man by now? Even if he's blind, he has Lauralai for eyes- doesn't he?" Tsume grumbled impatiently where he was sitting with his back against a tree, one knee propped up so he could lean his arm over it comfortably while his other arm lay at his side limply. Heart was sitting at his side, leaning against his propped up knee as well.

She rolled her autumn-red eyes at the golden eyed man's impatience, "Relax, Tsume. He'll find them"

"Don't be too sure about that." Tsume snorted, "After all, with all that talk Jazz was spouting just before he left about this place being filled with extinct crap and such, what makes you so sure something hasn't eaten them already?"

"Shut up" Kiba growled tightly, catching the others by surprise by the sudden venom in Kiba's usually nonchalant voice. His sky-blue eyes glared coldly at Tsume's surprised gold, "Not one more word of that from any of you, you hear me?" he threatened darkly, "Jasper _will_ come back."

"Alright, alright already" Tsume shook him off, unnerved almost that Kiba was so serious about the silver wolf that usually put him down any chance he got. Tsume, and everyone else in some form or another, had an inkling that the real reason Kiba was so serious in Jaspers return was that he cared for Akira too much to think otherwise.

Something in the foliage near Hub's prone form that lay close to Blue and Hige shifted. An unreal chattering sound and a gurgling growl hushed just after the strange shift before another shift in the foliage came again. This time, it got closer.

Hige stood up quickly. His senses going haywire in caution as he tugged at Blue's arm, "How about we move closer to the others" he suggested. His voice quivered a bit.

Blue nodded rapidly, too afraid to say anything. She and Hige reached down to grab the human's arms to drag him with them closer to where the others had gathered closer together when a sharp sound snapped at them in what sounded like a cross between a avian and reptilian like growl.

Akira's sudden gasped yelp startled them to look away from the direction of the strange sounds and shifts of foliage to where she lay in Kiba's arms. The red head's orange eyes stared in horror at something in the trees. Her pupils were the size of pin-points in all out fear. Her body shook, but she was otherwise too petrified to move while Kiba quickly tried to calm her. he too was afraid, but he knew that movement attracted what ever was stalking them- it was the way of a predator to attack what ever moved quickly first….. Usually they couldn't help it- the need to chase what ran from you was lodged into most predator mindset and was one of the many hardcore instincts that were hard to ignore. He doubted whatever this thing was would even bother to ignore such a temptation.

Blue and Hige had haphazardly struggled to move closer to the rest as they all subconsciously drew closer together to protect one another's backs. The half-wolf curiously followed Akira's line of sight to see what was terrifying her so much since Kiba failed to do such a thing too preoccupied with calming Akira down enough to not draw what ever it was attention to them. When she caught sight with cold reptilian eyes looking down at her with rows of sharp teeth snapping readily as it waited in the branches of the tree just above the suspended SUV, Blue knew Akira had reason to fear! She had never seen such an animal before- it had a lizard-like head with cold yellow eyes that stared unblinking down at them. It had a short- bird-like neck and stood on two feet like an ostrich. It had small twiggy arms with vicious clawed four fingers on each limb. A lashing tail helped it balance on the branch while it stood on two strong muscled legs that bowed a bit like nothing any of the wolves had seen. On each foot it had three deadly claws and one larger claw that was like it's big tow while another just as deadly hook-like claw was just above its feet along its ankle (Can you guess what it is yet?)

Blue's crystal eyes couldn't look away from the animal as it bent low at them to take a deeper sniff through its small nostrils on its muzzle. The small holes flared as it snorted at them and grunted, calling out in rapid guttural sounds- a chattering sound much like before.

Suddenly, there were two more of them that appeared- one directly across from them in the small clearing of the mossy-plush grove they'd fallen upon and the other at the side where Blue and Hige once resided. They seemed to be communicating together in a rapid fashion as the two on the ground stopped and jerked their heads side to side like a bird would when looking over a curious or potential meal.

No one moved.

"Wh-what are they" Hige whispered. His honey amber eyes wide in fear, much like everyone else besides the still unconscious Hub who Blue held tightly to herself protectively.

The two raptors of the ground raised their heads to the one in the trees and grunted in a strange coughing-howl like sound in unison, as if asking it what to do next. Kiba's blue eyes instinctively glanced up, now knowing that THAT one was supposedly the leader, for it was the one the other two were looking to in order to do what ever it pleased- it was the alpha of their pack. He recognized the way they moved and communicated fluently in their strange language he couldn't understand. Most animals could understand one another, roughly when it was out of species, but these things didn't even sound like what Kiba was used to and so he couldn't understand what was being communicated between them.

The apparent alpha of the three looked down at the pack. Its lips twitched over its sharp teeth as it snorted disdainfully at them and leaned forward letting loose a powerful roar-

"CRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH" it blasted down at them in such high-pitched frequencies that all the wolves flinched at the eardrum onslaught.

It jumped down before them with a THUD of impact, landing not 15 feet from the nearest of the group- Akira and Kiba. Akira screamed in surprise, but Kiba's hand instinctively moved over her mouth to muffle the noise. He held tightly to her, not letting her hardly breathe. He was using all that he knew of predators, being one himself, and assumed that these beings attacked by movement. They had no forked tongue that darted out every now and then like any snake he knew, so he knew they didn't attack by heat sensory- at least he didn't think so.

The sharp wail from Akira drew the alpha's attention. Kiba could just barely see its focusing pupils through the glow of the golden cold eyes the creatures had, and then it came to him- they could smell the wolves there because of the blood that was shed from the fall-injuries they had- though few in number. Hub was bleeding slightly from a head wound scrape on his temple- that must have been what attracted these creatures! They couldn't exactly see any of them very well and were confused why they could smell, but couldn't hear the struggle of the prey. They were probably used to hearing struggles when they approached prey.

With this in mind, Kiba kept a tight hold on Akira's quivering form. He could tell that if he didn't hold on to her, she'd go into flight-mode and attract unwanted attention to herself. Taking a chanced glance at his pack mates, Kiba could see that the others had the same idea, but were either too petrified to act or figured out the same weakness in the strange, deadly beasts stalking them as Kiba just had.

The alpha of the three gurgled lowly as it lowered its head and took in a deep breath, inches away from Akira's foot that Kiba's own leg was wrapped around to hold still. It stood up and snarled- eyes locked on Kiba and Akira in recognition. Kiba then knew now was the time to act, the predator had gotten a lock on their scent and knew they were there!

Just as the strange predator crouched to attack, a flash of fur barreled into it with a canine snarl just before five others echoed its howled battle cry and ascended down onto the small tri-pack of prehistoric beasts. Vicious snarls and ripping of flesh from sharp claws and teeth were heard in the small clearing. Akira closed her eyes and pressed further back into Kiba's chest, trying to block out what little she could see from the bloody scene as the taller, stronger three animals clawed and snapped their sharp fangs back at the wolves that had ascended upon them in an ambush. Between the three of them, they were able to fight off a few of the ambushing wolf pack, but were unable to deliver a final-killer blow to any one member of the pack of five or more before another pack member attacked at a different angle- drawing away attention from their comrade that had fallen away and were vulnerable as they struggled to roll over and get back up to fight again.

Finally, in a small, but bloody scrimmage between the two species-differed packs, the alpha of the strange prehistoric reptilians (Raptors) reared back its head and screeched in a higher version of the strange coughing-caw the other two had called to it in unison before when they had stalked Kiba's pack. The three raised their long, lashing scaly tails in the air and leaped over or barreled through what ever wolf stood in their way as they retreated to the trees. Four of the wolves pursued them, snarling viciously while two wolves panted for breath, snorting after the retreating animals in victory.

"That'll teach the bastards to stay off our turf!" the large male who had attacked first snorted. He looked to be about the size of Kiba with a chocolate-brown fur coat and a cream under belly and snout. He had longer, thicker fur than most wolves.

"Can you blame them for investigating such a tantalizing scent as human blood and the essence of the flower so close?" another, slicker voice replied. It was another male, a mixed-color of gray, brown, and black-furred wolf- a timber wolf. He was smaller than his chocolate long-haired friend and looked like a twig compared to the bear-strengthened one next to him.

the long haired one turned silver eyes on the stunned wolf pack they had just saved with a wolfish grin that oddly still held warmth in his gaze as if he were friendly as whinny the pooh, "That's right, eh?" he chuckled as he turned and approached Cheza who lay plastered in fear to the base of the tree the others had backed up against. He stopped just in front of Blue who held Hub close to her, looking stunned up at the bear-like wolf, "After all, it's not every day that you see the flower maiden we've waited for so long to reunite with my dear sister"

"Si-Sister?" Hige blurted out.

"Terk!" this time, it was a female voice. Said female dashed out from the trees behind the scrawnier timber wolf who watched the bear- like wolf approach the still stunned and confused pack. She had silver eyes and was a stunning shade of red, long fur, much like the larger chocolate brown wolf she addressed as 'Terk'. Her stormy-gray silver eyes spotted Kiba and locked to his blue ones before she shifted them to look upon Cheza. The red she wolf's white-tipped tail wagged excitedly, "YOU FOUND THEM!"

"Yes, sister, I found the flower" Terk replied, looking over his shoulder back to the red she wolf, "The raptors found her first, but we caught up to them and chased' em off before they could do harm to the flower."

"And did they hurt the white one?" she asked in a commanding voice.

"White one?" the timber wolf tilted his head at the pack, seeming to look over the wolves. Kiba and the others had instinctively reverted to their original forms when they were face to face with others of their kind- it was an unspoken ritual wolves often did when they faced another pack. His dull brown-gold eyes spotted Kiba's white moonlight fur as the white wolf now stood over the cowering red she-wolf protectively with his head lowered enough to be threatening if these wolves started something Kiba felt threatened by. Akira's heart was still beating faster than ever from the near collision with those strange reptilian-like creatures. Her eyes were unfocused as she tried to calm her ragged breathing and she was too weak to move much. She relied heavily on Kiba for protection when she was like this- in her panicked state of mind.

"The full moon has returned as well as the flower! We can approach the Tree of Ages now and OPEN paradise!" the red she wolf exclaimed.

"You know the tree of ages?" Heart asked cautiously, not liking how close the male 'Terk' was so close to her baby sister. She resisted the urge to growl at the large male, thinking better than to start something so trivial with an unknown pack on their own home land.

"Of course we know" the timber wolf scoffed, "Our pack has lived in the timeless forest since Adam and Eve were driven out by God himself! We were put here to protect the tree from scum like that meat boy the blue-eye is holding" the three wolves growled slightly as they each looked at Hub. Blue pulled the human closer to her while Hige urged her and Hub behind him protectively.

"What do you mean by the full moon has returned with the flower?" Kiba demanded, his head rising a bit, feeling a bit more at ease with these wolves since they made no obvious threats at them.

Akira peeked up from under him, shocked to see the other red she wolf approach him with a slight sway in her graceful stride. The hybrid's hackles immediately rose for some reason. She suddenly felt very threatened by this she-wolf walking up to Kiba as if he were something she were trying to seduce… she had to bite back an instinctive growl.

What the hell was this hussy doing? –Get her! Tare her a new one and show the bitch just whose mate she's dealing with! - A dark thought suddenly raced in the back of her mind. You know, the kind of thoughts you get with out even really realizing you just thought that?

'Stop it!' she told herself, 'What's wrong with me? I don't even know her!'

The seductive she-wolf's silver eyes half hooded in a sly leer at Kiba as she stopped almost nose to nose with him- ignoring Akira whom Kiba was still standing over completely. Kiba leaned away from the sudden intrusion of personal space, but he was unwilling to step away from Akira just to satisfy his sense of personal space issues. He still didn't trust this pack, but they knew things about this place they had no idea about.

"The full moon who is part of the prophecy is one of the chosen of the flower. You know of the tale of the red moon, the full and the new moon's role in the opening of paradise, correct?" it was a statement more of a question from the way she said it, but she awaited Kiba's confirmation regardless.

Kiba humored her, "And if I do?"

"I am the prophesized heart of the red moon" the she wolf smirked, "for I am the direct descendent of the one whom god himself appointed as guardian of the timeless forest."

Akira nearly choked on her shocked gasp and she felt Kiba's legs on either side of her stiffen- all four of them. Her orange eyes looked from Kiba to this new red she-wolf rapidly, trying to gage what this was leading to. They had heard that the red moon was the deciding factor in who would open paradise, and everyone had assumed Akira was the red moon…. or at least they had an idea she was. They'd heard hints about it, but no one point-blank told them straight forward that Akira was the one and only red moon. Akira started to doubt herself, 'What if she's right? Paradise needs the red moons choice and if she's the red moon, what about Kiba? I know he's the full moon- Jagura wanted his blood to be marked on the walls of her paradise and he's Cheza's chosen… was I wrong?' she looked up at the other she wolf that ignored her presence completely, 'Can I really believe her?'

"Just who the hell do you think you are?" Heart demanded as she suddenly wedged her self between Kiba and this new she-wolf, "Just because you linage supposedly comes from a grand guardian or what ever means nothing! Who are you to say you are the red moon or not?!" she would not stand for this! Akira was the red moon, not his overly pampered brat!

"I am Sabriel" the red she wolf said matter-of-factly, "sibling of the alpha, Terk" her silver eyes glared into Heart's red ones, not accustom to the challenge of another female, given her status in her own pack, but she'd feel no regrets in fighting this rebuking bitch if it meant her destiny chosen for her was threatened- SHE. WAS. THE. RED. MOON!

"I could care less if you were sibling of Noah of the Ark! What's the name got to do with-,"

Sabriel cut Heart off sharply, "The spirit of the tree came to us and said that a red she-wolf shall be born to the world that shall be abandoned by her mother and it is she who will be the heart of the red moon. My mother died giving birth and so she abandoned me on the night the spirit foresaw this. I am the heart of the red moon" she glared at the red eyes of the black wolf before side stepping her to gaze heatedly into Kiba's stone golden eyes of gold, "And my heart will be given to the full moon to open paradise. I shall not submit to that of the new moon"

"Now just wait a minute here" Kiba took a step back as she rubbed her cheek along the fur of his neck intimately, "Are you sure the spirit was talking about you?" What about Akira?? How exactly was he supposed to react to this! He was glad Heart had forced the female to back off. He didn't like her so close to him- he'd always had personal space issues with strangers and this female just made his skin crawl! But if he were to snarl at her to back off, he was sure Terk and his pack would retaliate. The odds of such an attack were not in his smaller packs favor- he knew from the way Terk carried himself and how his pack operated that they probably had many more of their pack members that were waiting back at their den. There would be no fight, only a short execution of his pack.

"Who else? It's so obvious I am the chosen one for I have seen no other wolf the color of the blood red moon whom qualifies." Sabriel said in her throaty voice as she approached him again, bypassing Heart's growling form slyly.

"Well- uh…" for the first time in his life, Kiba was flustered- and not in the good way either. He felt a shift under him and soon realized Akira had more or less shoved her way out from under him, "A-Akira?" his tone sounded with a hint of pleading to her, but she didn't turn to him. Was she actually buying all this?? Even if a spirit tree or whatever had prophesized Sabriel, he wouldn't leave her! Didn't she know that?

"She said the spirit chose her" Akira said softly, still turned away from him so he couldn't see her cringe as she forced herself away from him. If this female was indeed the red moon, then she should be with Kiba, it was better than her going to submit to the new moon.

A flash of her nightmares came to her as that dark voice of the large wolf cackled down at her body as he pinned her down and closed in on her as a predator does when it played with it's preys' fears, '_You have betrayed me! The heart of the red moon will be mine!'_

Was he talking about Sabriel?... no… that wasn't right, was it?

She sighed; she didn't know what to think anymore. With all that's happened, she was too shaken to take on a bitch fight and it wasn't in her to fight back- it never really was unless she were pinned and cornered and then forced to fight for her life- Kiba had yet to shove the female away so he must be buying it as well. That thought made her angrier than she thought she should be, 'FINE! If he wants to go with her, let him!' she thought snappily, 'It's not like we're mated! What happened in the false paradise was just a dream he apparently doesn't remember very well' her stomach churned at the thought and her cheeks heated, making her even more pissed that such a thought of them making love still affected her- WELL! She'd show him!

Her shoulders set firmly and her tail lay behind her stiff as a board before she flicked it in an almost haughty way. Kiba could nearly feel her tightly controlled anger roll off her tense form, but didn't understand why she held on to it so tightly, but acted as calm as ever! From the looks of his pack around him, few others noticed the change in Akira other than the two sibling females, Blue and Heart. Hige and Tsume wisely chose to stay out of the fuming female as she passed them by. Both males seemed to be oblivious to what was actually going on in her head, but could instinctively feel the dangerous state of mind she was in since she was holding in all her anger at Kiba. They did what any male would do and they stayed well enough out of it, glancing back at Kiba sympathetically. Said Kiba watched helplessly as Akira calmly approached Blue and the prone form of Hub in her arms. He wanted to growl at Terk as the bear-like wolf lowered his snout to sniff at Akira as she passed him, causing him to back up out of her way while she took his place near Hub, reverting to her human form to check him over.

Terk turned his head to Kiba curiously when he heard the white wolf's stifled growl of warning. He didn't see why the white one even bothered trying to warn him off- he had Sabriel now- the red moon. Terk felt he had a right to check out an unmarked female even if the appointed alpha of the small pack felt fond of her. He was as of now spoken for and he didn't see Sabriel letting her claim on the handsome male go so easily. This little spit fire that haughtily ignored the white one's looks in giving him the cold shoulder enticed him and he wanted to see what else she would do- she had the most tantalizing scent….

Kiba openly growled at the male now that Terk moved even closer to Akira as she concentrated looking over Hub. The way the wolf leaned over the human-form Akira made his blood boil and hackles rise, still his rational mind wouldn't let him make any threatening moves on the alpha knowing the retribution was too high for something so trivial as jealousy, but there was only so much he could take! He could barely contain the urge to bare his fangs now! The low growl was all he allowed his possessiveness to show other than the cold golden yellow glare he sent at Turk and the lackey timber wolf.

"Something's not right with him" Akira completely and pointedly ignored Kiba's sudden conflict of possessiveness towards her and the uncomfortable situation he was put in with the cuddly seductive red she wolf that was practically all over him! it made Akira's stomach pitch forward, but she willed herself under control- Hub needed her help and it was hard enough to concentrate with the way Terk and even the now curious and yet to be named timber wolf approached her closer, curious at the strange, tantalizing scent of young female wolf laced with the scent of lunar flower on her Cheza had imprinted long before hand. the fact that the red _vixen_ before him was cuddling up to him- believing they were some kind of destined mates or something!- certainly didn't help her concentration very much, but she used her practiced breathing methods of calming herself down enough to concentrate on Hub- at least HE needed her.

"What's wrong with it?" the timber wolf asked to Akira's concern. He still scoffed down at the human behind the orange eyed female beauty's back as she looked over the human who lay with his head pillowed to Blue's lap so Akira could better look him over.

"I'm not sure- It's like he's paralyzed. He has a few wounds to the head and I'm sure a broken bone somewhere, but I don't know where- AAAAAH!" Akira screeched as Terk moved her aside and bent down over the human himself in his lumbering wolf form, sniffing from head to toe and ignoring the low warning growls of the pack he just saved- especially the loudest coming strangled from Kiba who still tried to discretely back away from Terk's baby sister, Sabriel's, advances. The white wolf looked almost comical the way he altered from baring his fangs and snarling at him and then yelping almost and trying to avoid anything too interment Sabriel was trying to entice him with as she curled around him like a female cat trying to entice an uninterested tom cat.

"Hmmm" the bear of a wolf's snout stopped when it reached Hub's jugular. Before Blue or Akira could stop him, Terk's fangs sunk into Hub's throat as he ripped it out. The human gasped for breath only for a millisecond before his body was completely stilled by death.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" Blue snarled. Her fur bristled in Anger as she stood up sharply in wolf form with tail raised high and head lowered as her fangs bore threateningly at the nonchalant Terk who now had Hubs blood all over his muzzle.

Akira instinctively backed away when her stomach started to roll unwelcoming in her gut when the sudden smell of human blood assaulted her and the sudden sight of gore. Cheza cried out and curled up to herself slightly whimpering, Akira scooted closer to her and took her into her embrace, each one using the other as comfort. Akira was thankful for Cheza's returning embrace when the flower noticed that Akira was just as startled and alarmed as she was! One thing after another down here in this dark jungle set poor Akira's heart shuddering in fear and she had a feeling it was only a matter of time before she snapped and just died of a heart attack! She felt her stomach suddenly lurch and had to twist away from Cheza to empty her suddenly upset stomach away from the flower.

The timber wolf bristled his fur up in his alpha's defense as he crouched before the nonchalant Terk to face Blue head on should she attack, "Know your place you half-bred bitch!" he snapped his fangs at her.

Hige shoved his muzzle at the timber wolf to back the male off, "Back the fuck off buddy!" Hige demanded as his hackles roused in rage at the insult to Blue.

"Don't tell me you willingly breed with this… this dirty half breed!" the timber wolf scoffed in disgust. The pack was quickly finding that a scoff was the wolf's main facial expression as he did it often enough.

"You've got a problem with half breeds?" Tsume threatened from where he sat on his haunches. He didn't move to stand between Hige and the scrawny timber wolf, but his posture and deadly set glare at the offending wolf suggested that if tempted, the gray wolf would attack in their defense.

Heart lowered her head as she stalked in a predatory glide up to the Timber wolf who backed up instinctively as the red eyes bore into him as one would when they target the quarry they were about to slaughter, "Do you think yourself above half breeds, whelp? Wanna try my fangs for size and see just how sharp a half breeds fangs can be when their _ripping out your bowls and throat before you can even blink_?" she threatened in a deadly serious voice that held no emotion yet sent chills down the timber wolf's spine as he backed away slightly from a smirking Hige as the red eyed female only took 3 steps toward him from her place at Tsume's side.

"That's enough Teal" Terk rumbled in a daring chuckle. The packs accusing glare shifted from Teal to the long furred bear wolf, rage pouring from them in waves, but he seemed unaffected from their anger as he explained himself, "The human was already dieing- his back was snapped somehow and he would have only starved to death eventually had I left him to you." 

"That doesn't justify how you brutally tore out his throat like that" Akira spoke up bravely, having calmed down herself and her stomach enough to revolt against the alpha now, "You sent him into a pained death- as if he were your prey!" a bit of the fire that had started with her frustration with Sabriel and Kiba started to vent into her cause making her eyes flash at him.

"Humans are a delicacy here. He is my prey and I would have consumed him by now honorably if he wasn't being huddled over by the blue eyes right now" Terk shrugged, liking the way the little spite-fire started to show her true colors and came out of her little timid shell.

"You will not lay a fang on him in such a way" Blue snarled.

"Brother, let the human be" Sabriel commanded.

Terk looked surprised to his younger sister where she resigned her self to stand next to Kiba- her chosen full moon- since he kept backing away from her. She wasn't about to give up on winning his affections though.

"But Sabriel!" he protested.

"My chosen mate wouldn't like it if you ate their comrade" she snorted then turned to Teal's gawking form, "see that the human is buried properly so the raptors can't dig him up later"

"Is there any particular reason why?" Teal shared a look with his alpha before looking back doubtfully to his alpha female.

"You will obey me you cur, for it is my will you obey!" she snarled dangerously.

"Do as she says" Terk rolled his eyes.

"No fucking way…." Teal grumbled as he started to turn away, but Sabriel was upon him before he could get very far.

"What was that?" she threatened.

"How deep of a hole, bitch" he rolled his eyes, yet submitted easily enough to her glare.

"Terk! TERK!" Yet another male voice panted. This one came from a similar direction Jasper and the others left in, "COME QUICK! RAZADAN HAS BEEN SLAIN!"

"The leopard?" Sabriel blinked.

"By whom?" Terk demanded.

"A silver wolf" the lesser pack member panted, "and he wasn't alone! There was an old human and two younger wolves with him-,"

"Jasper…" Akira whispered.

"Where!" Kiba demanded sharply, surprising the messenger wolf as the white golden eyed male stepped forward.

"Eh-Excuse me?" the wolf stuttered surprised to see more new faces.

"Tell us where you found him!" Kiba demanded, only taking a side-glance to Akira and Cheza, noticing her suddenly rigid form he longed to comfort again, but feared that she would coldly push him away right now and thought better of it.

"Just north of here" the wolf replied.

"Some one you know?" Terk said to the pack in general.

"The silver is Akira's older brother" Tsume briefed, "The old man and two pups are with us as well"

"Then take us to them," Sabriel ordered the messenger wolf who nodded and started to lead the way, leaving the others to fall behind him. Kiba had expected Akira to return to his side as she always did in new places that scared her as she often relied on him for her protection and was surprised, and hurt, that it wasn't Akira who attached herself to his side, but Sabriel. She leaned into him as much as she could get away with while they followed the others in front of them. Kiba caught sight of Akira leading Cheza who rode on the red wolf's back. At their side was Terk. The long haired bear of a wolf seemed a bit too comfortable around the two of them to Kiba's liking and he growled lowly, but choked on it in his throat in a yelp as Sabriel liked his neck to try and soothe his nerves she thought he had. He stared down at the rambunctious (I hope that's the right word) red female who looked up at him coyly through her long eye lashes even in wolf form flirtatiously. He was at a loss of how to react and once again glanced up at Akira in time to see her turn away forcefully.

-0989870987098709870987098709870987098709870987098709870987

He could smell her….

That tantalizing scent of the one his loins and blood lusted for- the female that would quench this fire inside his body and soul. The heart of the red moon- Akira was so close he could almost reach out and grasp her as her scent permeated the forest his ancestors had looked after even after his clan escaped the forest to live as nobles in the outside world with the humans. The Darcia clan had forgotten their wolf halves in favor of remaining and blending with the humans they controlled like the rest of the nobles of the outside world of this garden of Eden, yet he had returned and had come back as the wolf he had lost inside him. He would rectify what his clan had shunned from their light and reclaim paradise for whom it was truly for. His human heart mourned for the loss of his beloved Homena, but his wolfs blood demanded to be the one who the red moon, Akira submitted to- the one her very heart beat for.

It boiled his blood to smell the parasites that livid inside her womb currently. Those spawned of Kiba- the wretched fowl creature who stole not only his Homina's only chance of survival from her soul lost in a false paradise his grandfather created but took his destined mate, Akira, even if it was unknowingly unified in another false paradise they shared together in that cursed desert of lost souls…. Thankfully the little brats weren't even fully developed inside her, nor did she typically know that she held them with in her very womb. It would be easy enough for him once he had her where he wanted her- under him and under his control- that he could destroy them by taking her as hard and forceful as he'd like. The thought of it sent joyous zings through out his body making him eager to catch her once again with in his claws…..

And then there was the matter that her heart beat not for her own, but for _him_.

She had betrayed him, which he would punish her nice and long with in their first coupling when he caught the little bitch. Oh yes. He would show her just whom she belonged to- right after he tore out _his_ heart and shoved it down _his _throat just before _he _died! She would have NO heart to beat for if he killed Kiba and so block the prophecy of the full moon's chance at paradise and give way to the new moon and the new era he would unleash:

One where Darcia rules over all for all eternity.

The one where his pups were with in Akira's abled womb that is destined to bore the children who will be the legacy of the new world to come. When it came, Darcia will be the king- the one and ONLY king!

Darcia paced his chosen post half-way up the mountain that rested at the heart of the forest. From up here, there was more light and the trees- though thick from the ground- were see-through from up here so that one may look down and see all that lived in the sacred grounds of the timeless forest with out being seen. He saw the wolf pack that his clan had branched from find his chosen Akira not long after those prehistoric raptors had found them before. Darcia was disappointed that the beasts were unable to kill Kiba before retreating, but in truth, he'd rather have that pleasure reserved for himself.

He finally saw both packs start to head for his little warning present he'd left for them where the leopard- Razan, had interfered.

Darcia growled at the thought of the big cat. The idiot believed HE was king of the jungle. The black wolf with golden and blue colored eyes grinned in his wolfish way, "He was served what anyone else will get for making that arrogant mistake in this jungle. For I am the King of all" he chuckled darkly.

He threw back his head and let loose a low, daunting howl from the pits of his very being that reverberated through out the jungle in a haunting way in all its low-note glory as he announced his claim on his dream he finally had with in his grasp….

"Just a little while longer….." he grinned wolfishly, looking from the forest below up to the red moonlight above that was just about to give way to dawn. He knew that by the next time the red moon full shone itself above the mountain where the Tree of Ages sat, all would be his and paradise- his paradise, would be opened and ruled.


	32. Chapter 31 Dark Wars

Chapter 31 Double Red Trouble Said

A/N- Great success for me in re-training my horses, by the way! I finally was able to ride one of them called Durby, who was pronounced a psycho-Bronco, but I rode him around the field the other day and am still alive to update for all of you today! Whoot whoot!

Thanks for all the series ideas for those who answered my request! I got a lot of the twilight series requests and the Anne Rice vamp books. Actually, I've read them all and am eagerly awaiting the fourth twilight book to come out this August! (in my state at least) but I did find a few intriguing names and authors u guys recommended and have went to the library to search them out (the librarians know me by now- lol! They call me the dark girl since I like dark books like vampires, were-wolves (holy holy, I think I spelt that wrong!) and shapeshifters, gotta love the shape shifters, especially dragon shape shifters. They're a new fancy of mine (grins)

Pterodactyls in the story? Why yes actually, there are a few in this time before time arc, but they don't show up until after we get to the actual mountain where they reside. For now, the raptors rule (until someone bigger decides to show up in the next few chapters –points for whoever guesses right in what other carnivore-ancients I plan on putting in here!)

Special Thanks- Once again- TheLeopardDemenNovelist, Shadow and Little Shadow- all of you guys rock out loud in helping me come up with new ideas! Even if you don't necessarily mean to at times, you three still do it some how! Lol!

Acknowledgements

Ghostwhisper, Furyguy. Amber, SilenceofDoom, froggy4543, Dhole, TsukiKishuko (Yeah, I'm only relying on Word Processor for spelling mostly, but I'm glad I hooked a new one ), Carnage (Sabriel and Darcia?… interesting….), alvinfreak676, coldfire, Solarwind, FangsofFury (here comes more jealousy!), FangsofFury, EternalOctberNight, Quickstrike, AngelOfVengeance, Snowstar, Venom, Vixie, Hellhound, WildKat, sweetooth, QueenofSpades, Shurtugal, gossipgirl, Wildcreature, CrismonTiger, Emeraldragon, Dawn, Dusk, Blackwidow, Aquamarine, HottyKat, bloodymary, lucky, howling1, freakingod, Siren, Sabertooth, blackpanther, tigerjaw, fannyone325, Prettykitty67, freddbing323, stargirl, wolfsbane, Hybrid, RedFang, TwiLightzone, White Fang, emilyruby, Savagecreature, …. (I think that's all??)

Alright, really quick note on the chap below

_**IF YOU DON'T READ THESE NOTES, AT LEAST READ THIS!! **_(HA caught ur attention, didn't I?)

_**DOWN BELOW IS A CHAPTER FULL OF ANGST ANGST ANGST (and lots of sad mourning) ! PLEASE DO NOT READ IF DEPRESSED!**_

With that said…..

Please continue to read and please do review and say what you want I love to hear from u guys!

Chapter 31 Dark war

Akira followed dutifully with Cheza riding on her wolf back through the jungle as she followed the messenger wolf in front of her. She ignored the way the alpha wolf, Terk practically panted down her neck lustfully or the way she felt Kiba's golden stare boring into the back of her head. Why should he feel the need to _stare at_ _**her**_? He had Sabriel to worry about now, right?

Akira bit back an irritated growl.

'_Hussy_' the back of her mind snarled.

She glanced over her shoulder to check on Cheza as she felt the flower's arms shift slightly around her shoulders and neck. Her orange gaze just happened to catch the sight of Sabriel plastering herself to Kiba's side. Even if the white wolf looked very uncomfortable and kept looking to Tsume for help who rolled his eyes behind the couple and tucked Heart closer to him- promptly ignoring Kiba's silent pleas and Hige was no help either! All of the pack felt best not to help Kiba in his awkward predicament thinking it was his fault in the first place some how since he had led Akira on like he had only to reject her for this "Heart of the Red Moon" girl.

Poor Kiba was on his own.

'_Man whore'_

Her thoughts again insulted as she trudged onward, flicking her tail a bit too snappily at Terk's curious sniffs of his snout getting too close to her rear-end for her liking.

And Akira was furious with him, yet she, for the life of her didn't understand why she was thinking such violent thoughts about it or why she reacted to another female hanging off him so negatively.

She could hear Sabriel's voice as she 'whispered' in Kiba's ear endearments to help 'calm his frazzled nerves'…….

'_Slut-whore-bitch-wannabe-... …' _

And the cursed thoughts continued.

'_Stop thinking about her!' _she told herself as forceful as she could, but even in her mind she felt it sounded like a pitiful excuse.

'_It's not like we're mated or anything…'_ she thought dejectedly, but then her thoughts wandered off to that strange dream- or really dreams she'd had in the past.

The one where she and Kiba shared passions in the False Paradise where Kiba even met her adopted mother and true father- that one made her blush- and then there was the other where Darcia vengefully accused her of betraying him….

What did she personally ever do to Darcia? Sure she might have been on the other side of the fight when they met, but she'd never done anything to have betrayed HIM….

'_What did he mean that my heart no longer beats for my own??'_ though she thought the question through, she knew deep down what it meant. She was no longer her own person- her heart did in fact beat for Kiba since she was in love with him…..

Only side-glancing this time, she took a chance to look back at Kiba's uncomfortable form with a heavy sigh and quickly looked away as her heart dropped in her chest further. It had never felt so heavy like this before and so….. Broken…., '_That's why it hurts so much…… I love him. Even though he throws it around that he loves me so lightly and often says it, I've never said it back, have I?'_ she suddenly felt ashamed, '_I never had the courage he does to say it out loud……'_

"Hey sugar," Terk said softly, noticing her suddenly dark mood, "What's the matter?"

Akira lightly growled annoyed at the bear-like wolf when he leaned down lower to be head level with her as he paced himself at her side. She herself didn't intentionally mean to be so cross with him, but she felt an overwhelming urge to keep him away from her…. actually, keep all single-potential males away from her. Which only made her growl louder- this time at her self!

'_The only reason I'd have of doing __**that**__ would be if I were already spoken for and __**obviously**__ I'm not!_' her more 'feminist' side of her rebelled at such a basic urge to keep others away all because she was pinning for Kiba when he obviously was a bit too _preoccupied _at the moment….

"Hey, what's with the snarling all of the sudden? Do I smell that bad to you?" Terk tried to tease and joke with her to ease miss 'stone' up a bit. He seemed know she usually wasn't like this, but for some reason she was very…. Very cross…. Her fire was what attracted him to her, but now she was beyond playing around.

"Sorry about that" she sighed, forcing her urged growls down with a forceful gulp, though she could do nothing for the nagging irritation she felt at his closeness and the overwhelming need to rush back to Kiba's side as if he could save her from this irritation she felt, "I'm just a bit….. agitated" she excused with a huff.

"Ah, not used to this kind of jungle with all the humidity right?" he knew that humidity wasn't the problem, but decided to give her a way out from confessing to a stranger.

"Yeah, that's part of it," So what if she let a little white lie escape her when talking to a stranger? She was IRRITATED!

"Kimba" Terk cleared his throat, feeling awkward with the tension the beautiful female next to him exuded as he made a point to change subject and call to their guide.

The solid stone-gray wolf called Kimba who led them toward the sight paused automatically at his name and turned to his alpha expectantly, "Sir?"

"How much longer are we going?"

"Not much longer, sir, I think it's just up ahead. Sarabi is keeping an eye on the area incase something happens while I fled to come get you" Kimba replied as he turned back to the front and trotted on a bit faster paced than before.

"There, you see?" Terk grinned pleasantly down at the gloomy female, "It won't be much longer till we find your friends.

"I'm relieved" she sighed truthfully. She was more eager than ever to reunite with her brother than ever. She knew that at least HE wouldn't set her aside for some other hussy-

'_No, NOT hussy! I don't even know her so I have no right to refer her to such a thing!' _she caught herself again.

A light cream-colored wolf with a black muzzle and paws bounded through the forest towards them and greeted Kimba as the gray wolf slowed to a stop eventually. The cream wolf's long tail wagged excitedly and Akira could tell he was a bit younger than the rest, "There you are! What took you so long?" he greeted.

"There are others that have come down from above as well. They say that the ones that we found are part of them" Kimba replied.

"Well good timing- that little female pup's been shaking like an egg about to hatch! She won't stop mumbling incoherent things either like 'can't go on' and other stupid things like that. Just random shit, man" the cream one snorted board.

"Laura!" Akira's ears perked up and she bounded forward pass the two surprised males and startled alpha from seeing her go from mopey to full alert in all of two seconds and then she was gone.

"What's that bitch's problem?" the cream wolf tilted his head, but watched mesmerized as she left them in the dust, tail high. He couldn't help enjoying the view of the angle he saw of her and the way her enticing flowered scent snapped by his nose as she passed. What an interesting creature his older siblings had found….

"Sarabi!" Terk snapped firmly, startling the cream colored youth to silence, "Hold your tongue boy!" he didn't like the way the youngster eyed the red female he himself had spotted.

Sarabi's ears pinned back and rolled his silver eyes, "What ever, big bro" he scoffed, "You're not my father"

"No, I'm your alpha" Terk growled.

"Only because you're a few years older than me." Sarabi challenged.

"Where's Akira?" Kiba demanded coldly as he and the others gathered around Terk and the other two males, thinking the caravan had stopped for some reason, but saw an alarming absence of Akira…, "What have you done to her? What about Cheza?" Kiba accused. He was already itching to pick a bone with the alpha wolf who showed interest in Akira and now there was this impudent whelp, Sarabi- wasn't it? - To watch out for as well! Not to mention that scrawny timber wolf lackey, Teal…

God were all the males not attached in this forest going to chase after HIS Akira?

'_BRING IT!' _he growled inwardly to himself at the thought of having to fight hordes of rival males just to keep his Akira safe from harm and at his side, '_I'LL TAKE ANY AND EVERYONE OF THEM ON!'_

"NO! LEAVE ME!" a wailing scream up ahead startled all but Sarabi who lowered his ears sympathetically as he looked over his shoulder the way he came.

"That's her again" he mumbled, trying to play off tough, but he seemed to sympathize with the voice they just heard.

"Her?" Blue blinked.

"The whiny survivor of your friends back there. She's been crying out like that since we got here. I stayed to make sure she didn't attract any predators with all that noise and fussing she's causing"

"Survivor!?" Kiba's heart plummeted. That meant….. , "Akira!" he bolted forward at breakneck speed- ignoring the way Sabriel dashed after him and calling out for him worriedly.

"Akira!" Kiba burst through the clearing, panting with the way his nerves had worked over time in anticipation of the sight he was going to cross.

What he saw was Akira's human form trying to gently pull the weeping Lauralai away from Toboe's unmoving and bloodied body. Quents prone form lay unmoving next to Toboe's wolf form where Cheza sat hugging her knees against the base of a tree close by. Her ruby eyes watering as she started to cry at the sadness she felt rolling off Lauralai and the pain of death she felt lingering in the air. The scent of wolf blood must be killing her too, being so sensitive to such a thing as the lunar flower was bound to be.

"He…. He k-ki-killed them….. he killed them all….. l-le-le-left me alive….." Laura shivered as she rambled on and on quivering and crying hunched over Toboe, refusing to let go of his soft, death-cooled fur.

"Laura…. Laura, listen to me" Akira hushed gently like she remembered Shura, her stepmother used to talk soothingly to her when she was upset, "Laura, there was nothing you could do…"

"OF COURSE THERE WAS!" Lauralai snapped, "I COULD HAVE TAKEN A BULLET! I COULD HAVE BLOCKED THE LEOPARD WITH MY OWN DAMN BODY! I COULD HAVE ATTACKED THAT MAN!" she gasped for breath raggedly as her bloodshot eyes stared unseeingly at Akira. She wasn't yelling at Akira- she was yelling at herself, "But…. B-bu-bu-but I di-didn't" she sniveled, "I-I was to-to much of a-a … a coward….. I couldn't…. couldn't ma-move"

"What man? A man did this?" Kiba asked a bit harsher than Akira would have liked. The red head turned to glare coldly at the shocked brunette man that was just trying to help. Kiba instinctively backed away from Akira and the distraught Lauralai, sensing that Akira probably would attack and lash out at him should he upset the young struggling she wolf or approach this too close.

"A man…. Wh-who turned into….. the devil" Lauralai choked out as she let up her death hold on Toboe's fur and reverted to her human form for the first time. She started to catch her breath as if she was remembering something.

"Laura?" Akira whispered cautiously.

Laura threw herself into Akira's arms, "he was a monster! A MONSTER!" Laura cried out as the other wolves entered the small clearing that had blood-soaked plant life all around and a foul smell of exposed innards and flesh wounds that were already starting to rot, "He had two colored eyes and he was the one to kill Jasper! The poison wasn't supposed to harm Jasper, but HE transfused his own portion of the poison into Jazz's blood just before the bond was broken!"

"Poisoned…….J-Jasper…." Akira's orange eyes widened as her nostrils suddenly flared with other scents that spoke all to her who was there and what had happened. She turned her head sharply, looking around, afraid to see if it were true but unable to avoid not seeing if it were true for her own eyes.

"He… he's under the leopards body. He scarified h-himself to kill Darcia through the leopards attack, but it didn't work…." Laura flinched when she mentioned Darcia.

"Darcia!" Kiba looked around angrily to find the bastard, but quickly found the accused missing from the crime scene.

Akira however spotted the yellow large spotted cat laying against a fallen, jagged ended tree. A jagged-sharp edged tree root impaled it by the stomach- showing what had caused its demise, but she caught the sight of silver fur just underneath its body.

"Jasper!" Lauralai let go of Akira so the young red wolf could go to her fallen brother while Heart and Blue took over calming the young she wolf down.

Cheza stood up and slowly followed Akira's path toward Jasper, sensing the red wolf may need her. The flower maiden stopped just as she passed closely to Kiba's side, looking up at him with sad expression eyes as she felt the angst collide inside him. She felt his need to go to Akira but also felt the fear that she'll push him away now that she saw him with someone else. That someone, Sabriel approached Kiba and put a hand on his shoulder, either ignoring or not noticing the way he tensed under her touch, wanting to pull away.

"I'm…. I'm sorry for your loss." Sabriel's husky voice whispered sincerely.

Kiba glanced back to her slightly before looking longingly after the direction Cheza left him to go comfort Akira who was now crying over Jasper's bloodied corps. The red wolf had dragged the heavy leopard's body off her brother's form and then fell to her knees, pulling Jaspers torso up to hers and resting her cheek bathed in her hot tears against his own that was slightly bloodied from the gaping hole in his throat where the leopard had obviously ripped his life out of him. she didn't care about the way she clung to him made his blood smear all over her and made worse by the way it mixed on her face with her tears. She didn't care how loud she must sound as she howled her aguish to the heavens for her fallen brother- only that she wanted him back. Her heart was too heavy with all that had already happened to it to break her and Jasper's death-gored body was the final straw to break her and she cried in abandon while Cheza slowly eased down to her side and hugged the red wolf as she in turn hugged the silver into her arms. His silver-white fur forever stained with his own blood….

"It's not my loss that I'm pained for" Kiba said softly as the knife that suddenly made homage to his heart and soul jerked painfully deeper and deeper each time he heard her choked sobs that she was trying, and failing to keep under control. His blue eyes darkened with conflicting emotion as he could only watch her start to break up on the inside and out over her loss of her brother and young friend, Toboe.

A sad howl drew everyone's attention to Lauralai who now reverted to her wolf form and sat down on her haunches with her head thrown back and nose to the air, letting loose a mournful howl. Heart and Blue followed suit and soon joined her high soprano with their near matching alto-sopranos. A base of Tsume and the tenor of Hige joined them and soon even Sarabi, his brother Terk and the others joined in, leaving only Kiba, Akira and Sabriel out of the chorus of the sad moon song wolves sang for their fallen brothers.

Kiba couldn't bring himself to howl at the loss with out Akira joining in, no matter how much the loss of Toboe hurt to him. The pup was like a little brother to all of them, other than poor little Lauralai, of course. He watched as her human form convulsed in her sobs with Cheza rubbing her back in soothing circles. The red wolf couldn't even bring herself to morph into her own wolf form to howl with them as she cried harder and harder.

"Kiba, why don't you howl for the loss of a child in your pack?" Sabriel asked gently. Usually, such a loss as a child in the pack was mourned by everyone- for the loss of a child was the loss of a future to the pack. Yet somehow, even though she knew this man felt that loss full heartedly, his heart wasn't weeping silently for the child only…. Her own heart slightly throbbed at the longing looks Kiba directed toward that mutt of a female that cried in such abandon over the beautiful silver wolf. She had never seen a wolf cry so much as this one- it was too human an action! It looked so surreal for a wolf to mourn so passionately even for a family member that seemed as close as the silver was to the young she-wolf mutt.

Kiba couldn't answer her. He wouldn't. His heart was in too much pain seeing Akira like this as he did nothing. He was still afraid that she'd lash out at him, but he could no longer stand by whilst she mourned like this- unable to even transform to sing her wolf song for her brother's spirits departure. He left Sabriel behind with out a word and approached the distraught Akira while the wolves around them sung in chorus and she wailed in pain. He only made slight precautions as he knelt by her side and put a hand to her shoulder.

Akira paused, holding her breath she had sucked in as she glanced up at the new person at her side. When she saw Kiba there looking at her so worried and so in pain to see her like this, she couldn't help herself. She threw herself in his arms and cried even harder than before, feeling a bit safer to let herself go now that he had her wrapped in a protective embrace, forgetting momentarily that she didn't have any reason to look to him for comfort (or so she thought).

Kiba let her cry as much as she wanted, holding her in human form so he could wrap his arms around her tightly. On hand stroked her long silk red hair while the other massaged the skin that peeked out between her pants line and end of her ragged t-shirt; trying to use his touch to calm her like it always had before. His heart thundered in his chest when he found that though he was able to calm her a bit, she was still a wreck. At a loss of what to do, he nuzzled his face in her hair, trying his hardest to convey his own feelings into her somehow and tell her that he was here for her and he was trying to fight off this unseen pain that he knew he couldn't fight for her.

A gentle voice graced their ears as Cheza sat by Kiba and also started to stroke Akira's hair gently. It was a song he had recognized Akira humming before on many occasion when she felt she was alone…

"_Spring time_

_Allo you call_

_And I'm to bring _

_The offer_

_When thou comes_

_Thou shall be calm"_

Akira's sobs lessened more and more as her breathing started to calm and she held on tighter to Kiba. The words of Cheza's voice affecting her in a different way then it did for the rest of the wolves who stopped howling to listen to the soft song Cheza sang to the pained wolves.

"_Spring time _

_Allo you call_

_And I'm to sing_

_Thy hearts song_

_The time comes_

_Thou shall be calm"_

Akira's quaky voice was hoarse at first but her very soft whisper of her gently low alto voice sang the next verse timidly as she remembered the way Jasper used to sing it to her when they were pups and their mother and father were away for the night. His shinning green eyes were all she saw in her minds eye as she sang the next verse…

"_On Wings they fly _

_The earth doth shine_

_And I'm to bring _

_The offer_

_A hearts song_

_My soul shall long_

_And I'm to sing_

_Thou shall be calm"_

And she was suddenly calm. The pain was still there, but it was a dull ache compared to what it was before. She was able to think clearly now, but she was so comfortable she didn't want to move or think too much…. Until she realized who was holding her.

Looking up, her orange, tear-glazed eyes collided with Kiba's compassioned warmed blue gaze as he held her as one would hold something so precious to them they didn't want it to fall or slip away in the wind- he didn't want to lose her…

Cheza sighed happily and sang the last verse. She flexed her calming aura till it embraced around Akira and used her luring voice to ease Akira into a light slumber to allow her strained body to relax from all that she had been fighting from.

"_Spring time,_

_My heart will shine_

_And to your paradise_

_May we come_

_And there I shall sing_

_Thou shall be calm……"_

Sabriel felt very inspired by the gentle song and it did seem to revitalize her some how to have heard the voice of the flower….. But she felt strange seeing Kiba hold that other red wolf so tenderly and close.

It was obvious when she first met them that Kiba held affections for the female that were returned in earnest and equal depth- but then there was the sense of duty that warred with her. Kiba was the full moon. He had to be- and _she_ was the red. They were destined for one another even if his heart was for someone else. Sabriel sighed….

She would let them have their moment, since the hybrid was so distraught and needed Kiba to calm her. The red wolf discretely looked over her younger and elder brother, looking away guilty. If anything happened to one of her brothers….. She understood why this Akira felt so much pain.

"Kiba…" Cheza said softly.

Kiba had hid his face in Akira's hair, trying to breathe her into his system since he had not been able to for so long it seemed to him…. he slowly pulled away from Akira to look at the gentle flower maiden whom seemed to understand. She was standing again and looking down at him with sad, yet hopeful eyes.

"The Tree of Ages is calling this one again" she whispered, "It cannot wait for much longer."

"How much time do we have?" Kiba asked.

Cheza shook her head sadly, "We are too far away. This one cannot hear it very well from here and great tree will not say why it urges us so. This one only knows that it wills us to approach"

Kimba, Sarabi and Terk started growling suddenly. They backed away from the path they had entered the clearing.

"Damn it…. I thought this was Razan's territory…" Sarabi growled.

A high pitched growl-snarl sounded, followed by a chatter-like roar all too familiar to all the wolves.

"I'll bet they could smell Razan's blood from miles away and seek to over take what they can to get closer to our den with the women and young for easy prey. Razan's territory used to be the buffer between us, but now…." Terk instinctively back up from the clusters of foliage around them until all the wolves were huddled back to back watching and waiting for the predators to show themselves. The only ones who were not huddled together were Kiba, Cheza and the out-for-the-count Akira who was spell-sleep induced and was otherwise unaware of the danger suddenly surrounding them. Cheza suddenly regretted putting the she-wolf in a spellbound sleep when she should be awake and running away from these strange demonic things she feared the sound of. Their aura was nothing like Cheza had ever felt- defiantly not like the wolf.

"What exactly are they?" Tsume wanted to know.

"Raptors. They survived the extinction of the dinosaurs, or at least a small pack did. They've bred and lived here since before most of the animals and plants even were evolved yet." Kimba said as his eyes shifted around nervously and alert to any and all movements and noises.

"It's better then the Tyrannosaurs" Sarabi grumbled, "At least we can over throw the raptors one at a time"

"Tyran-what?" Hige baulked.

"Just call it a T-rex" Sabriel snorted at Hige's astonished look.

Suddenly, one of the beasts made themselves known. It looked smaller to the alienated wolves than before, but it was still plenty large enough to take down a horse alone if it wanted. It cocked its head side to side, looking them over through each eye and chattering to its self in strange chirps and gurgles. It bent low and bore its sharp needle teeth while it roared- tail lashing behind it.

"COME AND GET US YOU OVERGROWN LIZARDS!" Sarabi taunted right back at it, but the raptor didn't seem to advance any further than just beyond the trees. It paced back and forth as if held back by an invisible line, snapping and snarling at them as if it were taunting them to attack or run.

"What's it doing?" Blue hissed nervously.

"Who cares- it's just one of them!" Hige crouched and dug his nails in the ground in anticipation, "We can take it down and have lizard for lunch if we want"

"Don't even think about it" Terk said deadly serious, "Don't move from your spot. It's just a decoy"

"Decoy?" Heart echoed.

"Raptors don't hunt like normal pack animals- not like us." Terk explained, not taking his eyes off the decoy, "They like to take down their prey with tact, while we take down with precision- they trap their prey and play with it until its cornered out one by one and eat it alive- not bothering to make a killing blow. They'll just rip you apart whenever they can if you insist on running and are good at it."

"Their saliva is also diseased from all the scavenging they do of the already dead carcasses they find- so if their teeth break skin, it will get infected and it will hurt like a bitch until what ever they bit falls off or is ripped off if you don't lick it yourself to give it a good cleaning" Sabriel commented in warning.

"Thanks for the heads up…." Hige gulped.

"THE LEFT!" Sarabi barked suddenly as a burst of movement flashed through the clearing. Sharp teeth dug into Kimba's spine as the raptor lifted him from his back and carried him into the trees with the wolf screaming in terror. All of this happened in less than a blink of the eye and suddenly there were sickening ripping of flesh, teeth, claw, snarls, gurgles, and horrified screams of terror that were quickly distorted as the raptors consumed the still alive wolf until he literally had no organs to live with. Heart's eyes widened and Blue felt like she was about to be sick.

The raptors had consumed Kimba right in front of them just on the opposite edge of the clearing from them and where Kiba, Cheza and Akira flattened them selves against a tree. There were no longer only three of them, but seven! More than enough to take down the entire population of wolves in the current clearing.

Terk shoved into his growling, vengeful cream-colored brother who was glaring murder at the raptors that ignored the rest of the wolves for the moment while all seven gorged themselves as best they could on the poor carcass of Kimba, "Up the tree boy, up the tree!"

Sabriel had already started to climb up the tree trunk. Her fear of the creatures so strong that she desperately had to get away or she risked danger of being immobilized by her panic and then probably sharing the same fate as poor Kimba! Terk started to shove Sarabi up after her while he addressed the other shocked wolves, "If you wish to live CLIMB! Get as high as you can because they can climb too but the higher you go the thicker the limbs get and the more clustered they branches are- they cant get through the thick layers so that's your only chance!" the bear of a wolf barreled up the tree with his siblings, "Good luck to ya!" and he was gone.

They didn't have to be told twice!

Heart was first to clamber up the trunk of the tree that stood next to the one the three sibling wolves had escaped in. followed closely by Hige with Tsume brining up the rear. Just as Tsume was about to climb get to the safety of the 'thick-zone' of branches, he noticed Kiba wasn't following their example, "KIBA YOU IDIOT! GET OUTTA THERE!" He noticed Lauralai who hid herself among the foliage, not wanting to leave Toboe's body too far, "LAURALAI!" he called, but the young she wolf didn't answer.

Kiba stood snarling in his wolf form over Cheza who held the unconscious Akira in HER arms for a change. The flower maiden clenched her eyes shut in fear and hid her face in Akira's hair as the raptors finished their savage meal of the wolf they had killed and then ascended on Toboe and Quents body, consuming those too. One of them lifted its head and spotted Lauralai when she wailed in terror of seeing them devour Toboe's dead body. She tried to back away into the foliage again, sensing her mistake, but another raptor came up behind her.

"Laura!" Cheza sensed Laura's blood being spilt slowly as the two raptors started toying with her, startling her from one to the other and ripping of pieces of her flesh slowly as she dashed between them in her terror.

Kiba felt helpless to move to help the young wolf. He couldn't draw attention to himself and leave Cheza and the unconscious Akira to save them- it was too late for Lauralai. His ears pinned back, flinching when he heard Laura's scrambled screams.

A raptor also screamed in pain, making Kiba look back and see that though Lauralai was dieing, she finally went suicidal and launched herself at one of the raptors playing with her back and forth. She ripped out its sensitive throat just under its jaw, staying with it, teeth clamped to the throat as it fell to its side struggling to get her off until the other raptor and another curious one tore her away- her neck was snapped in one of their jaws, but they ate their own dieing comrade as well as tearing into Lauralai's flesh.

Cheza now screamed as Laura wailed her death cry, startling the other raptors that were feasting on their meal. They paused and each simultaneously looked directly in the still alive and on the ground trio's direction.

When they spotted Jasper's and Razan's and noticed that there were still live prey to be caught, the seven spread out in a fan around the tree, cutting off escape by ground. Three of them noticed Tsume's rapid movement as the grey wolf started to climb back down to help and started to go after him as well, but Tsume had an advantage- he never stayed too far away from the thick shelter of the branches the raptors couldn't get through. A fourth raptor abandoned it's slow approach for Kiba to see what the other three were fussing about, leaving three raptors left to face off the snarling white wolf.

Kiba recognized one of the raptors from the way it held itself higher than the rest and its obvious pull on the others since it seemed to call the shots rapidly with it is grunts, hisses and snarls as its cold eyes calculated Kiba carefully as it made it's approach first between the other two who followed on its flanks- it was the alpha.

Kiba's breathing came rapid- and he hadn't even started to attack yet! He could feel all his instincts surge at him in two directions- one was to flee and the other was to kill the opposing threat to Akira who was helpless! He bared his fangs as his heart pumped faster and faster with each step the large raptor took closer and closer…

"K-Kiba…. This one is afraid…." Cheza quivered behind him.

Suddenly he snapped!

Golden eyes locked on the predator in front of him- as if IT were HIS prey and the rolls of predator and prey were instantly reversed before the alpha raptor could even comprehend what was going on! Kiba launched himself at the beast's neck, his fangs clasping like iron shackles on its wailing throat as it flailed and clawed at him to get him off. The two at its sides were confused on what to do- they couldn't see very well and all they saw was a white blob on their alpha and the said alpha spinning around it circles crying out in rage, but Kiba held on fast. His fangs were shaper than normal, but even he had trouble breaking through the amazingly tough skin of the raptor. Once his fangs slid through- it was all over for the alpha raptor. It choked out in strangled roars and grunts as he suffocated it. Never once letting up on his fangs iron hold on the throat until it fell to its side, dead.

The other six raptors hesitated momentarily at the fall of their alpha, confused on what to do since usually it called the shots and now they were govern-less! Confused chirps and caws were exchanged before Kiba stepped forward, his snow-white fur blood marred from the splattered blood of the fallen raptor before him. He dug his claws into his kill feral-like and snarled at them with blood dripping from his snout and fangs that snapped up at them threateningly.

One of the raptors fell for his taunt and charged head on at him. Its fangs bore at the ready and claws sharp and steady as it cut through him with its speed. Its large toe-like claw dug into Kiba's side, making the wolf cry out before Kiba twisted around and clawed vigorously at the sensitive under belly, spilling its innards right out from under it! The beast wailed in fear and surprise as it convulsed and fell forward, dieing slowly on its own afterwards.

Once again, the other raptors were confused. This prey fought back and actually KILLED them! The other furred creatures fought back of course, but the only thing to kill a raptor in the forest was the Tyrannosaurs, and those were very few- only two were left in the forest and both were hardly ever seen unless they were feeding or searching one another out to mate.

Instead of chirps and grunts, the raptors now communicated with whines and whimpers and pitiful light grunts to one another. Kiba stood in his place, now over his disemboweled prize. He never once made to attack them unless they charged or made a move first like the first two had. His feral golden eyes had blood lust in them as he almost eagerly awaited their next move, licking the blood off his chops and snapping his teeth at them as he growled warning! On this level of thought, he had one goal and one goal only- PROTECT MATE!

The raptors bent low and hissed at Kiba, warily backing away but keeping their arsenal bared at the ready should Kiba attack them instead. When they reached the tree line, one by one, the raptors fled, chattering and snapping at one another as they went until nothing moved or was heard in the clearing but the heavy pants of Kiba as he struggled to stay standing from the sudden wooziness of blood loss.

He staggered forward a step before his hind legs gave out from under him and his sight started to blare.

"Kiba…. Kiba, you idiot, just hang on!" Tsume's voice echoed in his head.

"Our den's not far off, we'll take you there and let you rest before we all tackle the trek up the mountain in the heart of the jungle." Sabriel offered. She sounded very near him now….

"Kiba….. Kiba…." Cheza's echoing voice was the last thing he heard as he succumbed to the welcoming darkness surrounding him.


	33. Chapter 32 Matters of the Heart

Chapter 32 Matters of the Heart

A/N- Hey all! I'm updating now –obviously—but the thing is that I wont be updating again until after Saturday the 12th of July. Why? I'm going to Houston Texas on a mission trip with my church to work at a VBS down there. In other words- no electronics allowed unless you want to risk said electronic to the hands of 450 (some odd number) of sticky finger kids what probably wont give it back. Therefore- no laptop. It shall stay at home and get a weeks vacation for once. Lol

So, I tried to sting this chap as long as I could with out messing up the plot of the next chapter.

Special Thanks- TheLeopardDemenNovelist, Shadow and Little Shadow! U GUYS ROX!

Acknowledgements-

Blackpanther, Amber, Emeraldragon, QueenofSpades, fannyone325, TheLeopardDemenNovelist, Sabertooth, Hybrid, froggy4543, Blackwidow, Siren, Hellhound, Wildcreature, SilenceofDoom, AngelOfVengeance, TwiLightzone, wolfsbane, Dhole, stargirl, RedFang, Prettykitty67, Venom, Dawn, Dusk, alvinfreak676, Furyguy, bloodymary, gossip girl, emilyruby, howling1, White Fang, sweetooth, freakingod, Quickstrike, HottyKat, FangsofFury, Savagecreature, tigerjaw, freddbing323, Solarwind, lucky, Wildkat, Aquamarine, coldfire, Shurtugal, Snowstar, Carnage, Crimson Tiger……..(is that all of you?)

With that done, hope u guys like this chapter it's got a lot of fluff! Fresh from the oven too lol!

See you guys after the 12th and enjoy!

Chapter 32 Matters of the Heart

She awoke to the feel of secure and a sense of belonging. There was a warmth near her that she felt should be there, just as it always had been there. She felt safe above all else and she sighed before opening her eyes at the feeling of relief it brought to her frazzled nerves as of late. She hadn't been able to relax since even Cher died! Her orange eyes opened to find herself laying curled up in a wolf-made nest of soft moss and plants for bedding under her in the dug out small indent in the ground of a hallowed tree trunk that some how still stood and seemed to be among the living. She was facing the entrance of her new resting place and it seemed dark out there beyond the threshold- as if she and her tree were connected to a cave or something. Her ears could detect the faint rumble of running water-

A water fall?

Where was she!

It was then she noticed that she wasn't alone. Curled to her front- the same thing she realized her head rested on was not a pillow- was the bloodied fur injured Kiba who moaned out in his troubled unconsciousness. He had long, deep wounds from claws she didn't remember. There was a bite mark on his back leg that he stretched out to his side as he slightly leaned into her. his head lay on her front paws, entwining them intimately as she lay her head on his shoulders he leaned toward her in the position they were in. her tail was curved around him and she wandered how and who put them there.

"Ki-Kiba?" she whispered confused. Wasn't she angry at him? Her heart seemed not to care- all it saw was that he was hurt and needed her help.

She could smell the saliva from what ever had bitten him on his hind leg- it was eating at him like a disease and she knew the claw marks must be having the same effect on him because his body flinched around the wounds painfully every now and then, but he didn't move away from her comforting body. Even in his sleep he strived to be near her.

Her ears dropped as she felt guilty for giving him the cold shoulder earlier, "Oh, Kiba… what has done this to you this time?" she thought aloud as she watched over him warmly.

He groaned and shifted to lean more into her body, practically laying on her side, but she didn't mind for now. Her ears perked up toward the entrance, trying to see if anyone was near by. After a few moments of hearing nothing but that close by gentle rumble of some water fall, Akira lowered her head and nosed one of his wounds she could reach from her position. Now that she could smell it up close, she could tell most- if not all- of his wounds were infected and needed to be cleaned out. She didn't hesitate as she ran her warm tongue over his shoulder wound she could reach, trying to clean the wound with her own saliva instinctively knowing it would help ease the infection.

Kiba's eyes shot open as he woke with a start. His head shot up with a snarl, ready for action and to finish the fight he'd started with those raptors just before he fainted with the blood loss. He started to get up to all fours, but his body shot zings of painful sensations through out him and made him submit to its wrath. He fell to his side again, landing against something soft that exhaled quickly from his careless flop back down against it. Twisting around he found it was Akira he'd knocked the breath from momentarily.

She coughed to regain her breath a moment and had to fight the surge of nausea the sudden jab to her stomach did before he orange eyes finally looked up to come face to face with concerned golden. She cleared her throat to try and knock them both out of the trance they seemed to be caught up in.

Kiba's ears folded to his head worriedly, "I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked softly.

Akira shook her head no before pinning her own ears back reprimanding, "You're one to talk" she nodded to his body, "Look at you! You're covered in wounds I don't know how you got and their infected!"

Kiba looked down at himself to see that she was in-fact telling the truth- he was covered in small scrapes and big wounds from the quarrel with the raptors…., "It's just a few battle scars from the raptors. No big" he shrugged.

"Raptors? RAPTORS!" he pinned back his ears at her sudden squeal of rage, "HOW IS THAT NO BIG DEAL! THOSE THINGS CARRY DISEASES THAT NEED TO BE CLEANED OUT IF THEY WOUND YOU! YOU'RE LUCKY YOU GOT AWAY WITH JUST A FEW WOUNDS!"

"I wouldn't let them get to you and Cheza" he retorted seriously, but kept his voice even in his cool tone, "You were unconscious and Cheza and I weren't able to hide in time before they spotted us. They had us trapped and I refused to let them harm either you or Cheza- I… I just snapped. The next thing I know, they're running away and I faint from sudden light-headedness."

"You blanked out in a fight?" Akira's voice lowered from her squealing to concern. Toboe had said he blanked out when he snapped with the walrus back on the ice fields- Did Kiba experience something similar?

Kiba nodded and then hissed in pain as the movement stretched the wound on his shoulder, "Damn it!" he moaned in pain, lowering his head to his front paws to rest his neck and try to ease the pain by not straining any muscle too much. His ears twitched when he felt a warm tongue start to stroke his shoulder wound- just like when he was startled awake!

'That was Akira?' he thought momentarily.

"What are you doing?" Kiba lifted his head and hissed between his teeth at the pain it caused.

Akira pulled back from cleansing the wound on his shoulder to glare at him, "Stop moving! Haven't you figured it out by now that it hurts to do that you lame brain!" well now she was insulting him- that was a new one for him to encounter with Akira. He could tell she didn't mean it, she was only upset he hurt himself, "Someone has to cleanse these nasty wounds of yours and since no one else is here to do it, I will. Now lay back down and stop moving!" she raised her paw up to push his head down with it in effort to show she meant it. Kiba let her push his head back down, unable to help the feeling of pride that she took it upon herself to heal him- yet he felt a sense of Deja'vu….

They were quiet a moment. Akira obviously had no room for chat as her tongue was already in use trying to cleanse the wounds along his back and sides. She made her way to his hind leg where she paid extra attention to since she knew it was a bite wound. Kiba was content to let her do as she pleased to him as he was more or less bathed with her wolf tongue- even if it was just to help him heal, he enjoyed it none-the-less and would live it up while he could.

Suddenly it came to him; why he felt a sense of Deja'vu! He couldn't help but smile down at her as the fond memory came to him as he watched her clean the bite wound on his hide lower thigh. When she seemed satisfied that she had gotten all his wounds on either side of him after she made him roll over twice for her she finally sat back and cocked her head cutely down at him with her tongue lolled out in a way that he couldn't get enough of. Her orange eyes slowly looked him over in a strictly platonic way since she was only checking on his wounds.

"That's about all of them- oh wait, I missed one" Akira discovered the left out scrape that had managed to streak across his muzzle. He had to look cross-eyed at it to actually see what she was talking about.

"How'd that get there?" he murmured to himself, not exactly remembering one of the raptors getting THAT close to his face…. But then again it was only a scrape.

Her hot tongue swiped over it none the less and he jerked back, surprised to feel the sharp pain on his muzzle from the sudden touch. He lay his ears down apologetically when he heard her growl lightly in reprimanding, "Kiba, I have to clean it out. Stop acting like a pup. All it is should just be a small sting." She rolled her eyes.

He grunted in retort at her belittling him for jerking away, "You try handling a tender wound to the nose" he mumbled.

"I wouldn't be such a baby about it when I know it must get clean" she shot back nonchalantly raising her paw again to push down on the top of his head and pin him to the ground to hold him still, using the fact that he wouldn't move too much since his other wounds were still fresh enough to bite him in sharp pain should he strain, "Now hold still- it's just a little one so it'll be over quick." She leaned down and started to clean his muzzle where she left off, ignoring his irritated groans at not being able to squirm away.

Though he didn't like it and felt childish about fretting over the small sting of the wound on his tender muzzle, Kiba couldn't help but think Akira would be a good mother one day. A grin tugged his mouth corners at the thought of Akira's belly filling up with his pups and one day having a small litter of pups running about their feet with orange and golden eyes yipping for their next meal….

"The pain must be making you hallucinate now" Akira's dead-panned remark caught him off guard. He looked up quickly to see she was no longer holding him down or even near him. She had shifted away and stood on all fours, walking over to where a small trickle of water dripped into a tiny clear pool of water and started to lap water. She had just dunked her whole face in it and shaken off the water from her fur when she caught him staring off goofily at the wall where she left him, "What's with that face?" she let one ear tilt down while the other cocked upright to him in concern, mildly at least.

"Hm?" he shook his head to clear it of the fantasies he often visited about Akira and himself with their future, "Nothing- Just tired I guess" he offered, laying his head back down on his paws.

Akira knew that wasn't the truth, but let it slide after glancing at his back now turned to her a bit forlornly before shaking her head and forgetting it all together, "Then sleep if you're so tired." She suggested a bit snappily. She still hadn't forgotten how he allowed Sabriel to hang off him like he had before.

Kiba's head shot up and ears pointed at her as he twisted his neck to look at her as she approached. This time it was his head that was tilted curiously, "What's with that tone now?"

"What tone?" she snorted, pointed padding pass his side in the comfy wolf nest to lay against the wall of the hallow standing tree.

"You know what I'm talking about Akira. What are you angry about?" Kiba insisted, wanting to get to the bottom of this wall he kept hitting as of lately when it came to getting near Akira.

"Look, you can stop it already, alright?" Akira sniffed, refusing to look at him and his worried expressions, "I understand completely that you have a duty. It's not like we've done any…. Anything to tie us together permanently, right?" she stuttered as the night in the false paradise came to mind, but her stubborn mood shoved it outta the way for now.

"Duty?" Kiba started to put two and two together, but he was only male, and suddenly felt sympathy for the way Heart often tossed Tsume hoops like this with the dark she-wolfs moodiness he had often thought amusing, but now he knew what a hell it was, "The only duties I have are to paradise-,"

"Yes I know that already and I'm telling you I-," she started to butt in, but he cut her off to finish, startling her when he stood up even in his pained state and crossed the tiny distance between them to fall more or less before her so he could touch her once more and inhale her scent while her fur stood on end, whether for her anger or flustered nerves he knew not nor cared much right now.

"As I was saying," he gratefully inhaled lightly as his nose was able to reach the fur along her neck even though his body strained with the wounds he had to stretch his own neck to reach her, "My only duties are to paradise and you, because I don't care if she is the red moon or the red sun" he pulled back to look her in the eye, nose to nose with her now as her own orange eyes widened, "She's not the one whom I love and have chose to give my loyalty and my heart to." He playfully licked her nose and she pulled back in surprise, but not appalled, "You are, Akira, I love you silly girl. Don't you know that? Haven't I said it enough?" he tilted his head to her, "I. Love. You." he annunciated it clearly just incase for her.

Akira let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as her eyes refused to blink in their wide state that was currently locked to his gentle warm golden gaze that held truth in everything he just confessed to the bottom of his heart. He was being so honest with her that it was touching, but she could barely get out he words to reply to him.

"K-Ki-Kiba?" she stuttered as he released her of his captivating gaze in favor for snuggling closer to her side, truly tired as he had said. He rested his head upon her shoulders like she had when she awoke before snuggled up to him.

"Shhh," he whispered to hush her, sensing her discomfort, "Sleep now- talk later, love. You need more sleep than frazzled nerves."

"Yeah, but Kiba…" there he goes again, taking charge in what she was to do with her health.

"Sleep" he insisted almost silently as he yawned into her neck, knowing she was the type that were prone to the contagious yawning 'virus'. It worked perfectly as it always had and had her yawning with in seconds, betraying her claim not to be tired, "See? You're tired as well. Sleep."

"Kiba," she tried again.

No response.

"Grah," she groaned annoyed, "KIBA!"

A snore was her reply as Kiba's nose snuggled deeper into her fur of her neck and shoulders as he sighed in his 'sleep'.

"Come on!" she whined exasperated, "I KNOW you don't fall asleep that fast!"

Still no response.

"Fine! Have it your way" she huffed in defeat- he wasn't going to wake up unless he wanted to; even if he was just faking it to begin with!

Glaring back at him, she softened her icy glare soon as she saw the softened features of the wolf who stole her heart and had given her his with declarations of his love for her, yet she was too chicken to reply with the same words. She didn't know why she was so shy to say them, but she was….

"I'm so pitiful…." She sighed, resting her head on her paws. His own head slid from her shoulders where it had rested since her neck and back muscles shifted with her lowering her neck. His face slid slowly along her side until he rested his chin on his paws tilted toward her own. Their noses almost touching. She noticed the already healing scrape she'd just cleaned out much to his childish antics- who would have thought Kiba could be childish about anything?

She couldn't get over the sense of Deja'vu feeling when she was cleaning his wounds… where was that from?

Her mind brooded on it as she lay there, trying to ignore how close the white wolf seemed to snuggle closer to her side in his 'sleep'.

_Cautiously, the red wolf entered the ally way and sniffed at the unmoving body that lay against the stone wall amongst the trash strewn around the ground. With a whimper, Akira nosed one of the larger bite wounds on Kiba's leg and gave it a timid lick, not wanting to wake him. Seeing him still not moving, Akira got braver in her treating of his wounds as she nuzzled each one in her wolf form trying to somehow make them all better._

_Kiba awoke the feel of a wet tongue on one of his wounds on his side. He grimaced when a sharp surge of pain hit him. Akira jerked away._

"_I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" she asked._

"_Why …. Why are you helping me?" he asked weakly._

_She seemed surprised at his question. Her ears flicked back and forth before she let them rest near her scull in thought, "Well….. I don't know. Am I just supposed to leave you here like this and let Mose and the others come back?" she countered and her ears stood erect again._

"_You don't have to help me. If they come, I can take them myself." He brushed her concern off and moaned as he let his head rest on the ground again._

"_Yeah, you look like you're in tip top shape to go at it with that pack of roughens for round 2 tonight." She sighed, "Is it so bad that someone wants to help because it's what they feel is right? Do you want me to just leave you here?"_

_Kiba looked her over with his blue eyes as he studied her wolf form as she waited for an answer. Finally he sighed in defeat and closed his heavy eyes to rest once more, "Do what you want." He was so tired._

That was when they first met…

Akira smiled at the memory. She had only thought of him as a stranger passing through her town then- just another stray like she and Shura had once been. He was so unaccustomed to the way she showed him kindness that in the beginning she used to do small things for him and the rest of the pack just to see their reactions.

Thinking back she's never guess that things would wind up like they had. She thought she at least had a bit more courage to tell the man who she loved that she loved him instead of ending up a stuttering idiot every time the opportunity presented itself. And Kiba amazingly seemed fine with it. He seemed alright that it was only him that had verbally admitted his love to her and that she was some how too tongue tied to get the words from her heart to her shocked brain and out her cottoned mouth- frustrating as it was, that's how it is.

He didn't think she didn't feel the same way did he? That this love of his was all just one-sided?

'Ooooh please no' she thought, wanting to hide under a rock.

-So just tell mate you love him-

There was that voice again!

She seriously gave it thought this time before the hair on the back of her neck rose up nervously, 'How the hell do I say that? When would I say that?' she shook her head, 'with my luck and words, I say it when it's the very last thing on his mind' she sighed again.

Looking down at Kiba, who was now seriously asleep since she could hear the evening of his breath and slight snore he had, she smiled as all nervousness toward him fled and she lay her head slowly down by his own.

-Do love mate?-

She decided to humor whatever part of her wanted to know, 'Yes'

-Want mate to stay?-

'Of course'

-Then say out loud-

"I love you, Kiba" Akira whispered for the first time nuzzling his cheek, "I love you with all my heart, I'm just sorry I'm not brave enough to say it to your face when your even conscious" she grimaced at her own chagrin but shifted to settle at his side none the less in a better, more comfortable position as she closed her eyes and drifted off.

Never noticing the way Kiba's amber eye opened to glance at her and close once more with a smile, "I know, love" he whispered back.

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Things were not going as he planned.

Darcia growled lowly to himself as he paced the foot of the mountain now in his agitation of having to wait them out. He stopped short for a moment to pause and glance at the moon barely visible from this point of view. The sight of the silver disk in the sky nearly full with a dangerous red tint rising above him in the ecliptic wasn't comforting as it should have been and only caused Darcia to snort in disdain and resume his prowling sulk of back and forth pace that would soon wear a trench in the soft dirt beneath him if he continued much longer. The way his claws dug into the ground beneath him didn't help issues.

"Damned rabid mutts" Darcia growled. He had planned on the raptors taking out most of his ex-pack members of generations ago and leaving his chosen prey to wander closer to his grasps alone- but no. Kiba had to go and drive off the vicious raptors and so got himself wounded and ultimately fainted. Then, and oh only then, did that bitch Sabriel and her brother Terk take back his query a good mile in the OPPOSITE direction from where he awaited them. From the looks of it, they'd get here just after it was too late for him to take Akira away from Kiba and so losing his chance at ruling paradise and undoing the little MISTAKES that now started to take hold in her precious womb that was supposed to hold his future pups!

He threw his head to glare up at the heavens. Some one must really hate him up there because none of this wanted to go smoothly for him. Nothing ever did for him unfortunately- not even when he was a rich and powerful noble! His grandfather had started this whole paradise pursuit with the nobles and so his beloved Homena had been trapped in a false universe, her soul never to return as her paradise crumbles and so ultimately destroying the man he once was. That battered and broken hearted man had given his soul away to the wolf he now was that was angry… oh yes so angry that his chosen bitch was continuously escaping his clutches like water through his paws- it just didn't seem to work for him.

"GOD DAMN IT!" he cursed snarling in anger, "I'LL MAKE IT FUCK'N WORK IF I HAVE TO DO IT MYSELF!" he roared.

To burn some steam he started to run head long into the jungle, uncaring if any creature ran into him. Not even the raptors messed with the dark beast he had become. His aura reeked of insanity and unstable violence that even the intelligent, canny raptor steered clear of.

Many an animal did in fact see him. They all were startled by the sudden jet of black fur that raced pass them like a sudden streak of a shadow. The black wolf ran until he reached an area where many of the larger trees were. Their trunks and roots took up most of the forest floor leaving barely any room for smaller shrubberies (NE! ANOTHER SHRUBBERY! Lol- Montey Python for ya.) to grow. As such, this area had very good dirt paths where little foliage besides the lumbering trees were there to hinder the common traveler through these parts. Perfect for the larger animals of the jungle…

"GRRRRROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRAHHH!" speaking of which- an elephant like roar hurt his ears as the pants around him trembled in the sound wake. Darcia instinctively slide to a stop. The earth beneath him quivered rhythmically intone to some thing very large walking at it's own pace right at him.

Deciding to heed the warning, Darcia darted up a tree to the safety of the thick branches above and watched the giant that stood on two legs with its head bent low and long tail lashing behind it barrel on through. It seemed to sniff about the ground hungrily, saliva dripping from its mouth that barely concealed all of its sharp teeth. The overwhelming stench of rotted flesh and innards assaulted his powerful nose and even the great Darcia was hard pressed not to spew his guts where he hid, but wisely held it to himself and swallowed it down- nothing survived the wrath of a tyrannosaur. Especially one so hungry like this one seemed to be.

Darcia froze as the large creature stood up to its full height, coming to eye-level with him where he hid in the tree. Darcia stayed absolutely still, knowing it could neither smell nor see him- the scent of the tree he hid in was too strong for his smell to be scented, but it probably could HEAR him. His heart was beating erratically and he couldn't help but pant in fear.

Yes, even the lord Darcia was stricken with fear for the king of the dinosaurs when it was this close and could easily take him as its next meal should it just see him, yet it couldn't tell where he was. Its large green eyes searched for him as it shifted one side of its head to the other, bird-like just as the raptors did. It purred in a low rumble of frustration and only took a moment longer to search him out before roaring out in its displeasure and continuing on its way through the thick forest.

Darcia let out a breath and started to try and catch his breath before he held it again at a new sound, much younger than the T-Rex that had just passed him by.

"BEEEEEERAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!" it called out in a scrawny voice. Darcia watched perplexed as a much, MUCH smaller version of the Rex tottered by down below- IT WAS A BABY! It was barely the height of the scrawniest of the raptor adults- the omega's of their large pack even!

"BEEEEEEEERRWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAHHHHH-HAAAAA-HAAAAAAAAAAN!" it bawled out as it stood under the tree Darcia hid.

"CRRROOOAAAHAAHAN" An answering roar far off had the baby standing tall as if it tried to catch a message in that very roar Darcia didn't under stand.

"Graaaaaaaaaahhhh" the baby wailed dejectedly as it turned slowly to its tail and sauntered back- it was as if the baby had just ran after its mother, wanting to go hunting, but the mother had just answered its pleas with something like, 'No way in hell, now go back to the nest, pup'.

Darcia watched amused to say the least. Who knew Tyrannosaurs were such good parents. He knew that the male and female Rex were acting a bit too much as one lately- it could only mean that they had mated and had this offspring. He had caught sight of the larger- much more destructive male on the other side of the mountain bumbling through the forest much like the mother was- they were looking for food for their offspring, like the good parents they were.

No doubt the commotion and scent of blood and enticing lure of the flower attracted the female out of her nesting grounds while her mate was away. She seemed hungry enough that she was probably on the hunt enough for her own as well for her child.

What good parents….

An idea suddenly crept into Darcia's mind as he watched the naïve, vulnerable young Rex pup hobble its way on its lengthy long legs back from whence it came- the nest.

As good parents, they would be extremely angered if they scented their pups' blood, wouldn't they? Surely they'd stampede through just about anything to get to the source of it and defend their child. What would happen if they found the carcass of their young near the wolf den?

They'd annihilate any and all wolves they found. Especially since said carcass would have the scent of wolf all over it. They wouldn't care what wolf did it, just that a wolf had done the deed and they'd kill all!

No doubt the smell of blood would attract most of the raptors as well- there would be no escape….

And he'd be right there waiting for Akira to run right into his claws as she tried to escape alive from all the confusion. He could easily take her out from under Kiba's nose with out the dumb mutt even noticing! After he had the red moon, Cheza would come to him with the rest of the wolves like a gift wrapped present for valentines day- simple and easy.

Darcia dropped to the floor of the forest. Looking cautiously in the direction the mother left and taking in her scent to gage how far she had wandered from the nest. Sensing that she was well out of range of her own nest, driven by hunger no doubt since no herbivores with some type intelligence ever wandered near Rex Territory unless absolute necessary.

The large black wolf turned sinisterly with a wolfish grin trademarked to his face as his mismatched blue and golden eyes leered at the Rex pup that had wandered off its path to chase a small rabbit that unfortunately crossed its curious path. It had just pounced on the poor animal, accidentally crushing it with its leg's weight as it only pinned it down with one clawed foot when it heard Darcia's growling rumble.

The pup stood tall to look over the foliage and saw one of those wired four legged doggy things that lurked the outskirts of its nest territory. It had often watched the strange furred creatures hunt smaller game around his nest when its parents were away and even caught glimpses of a few Raptor battles with them, but this one strangely started to stalk the pup. The rex pup tilted its head confused, but it had no reason to fear the wolf. Tyrannosaurs had no natural enemies here and wolves were only a minor nuisance to them that never crossed paths unless one of the other made a large kill too close to the other carnivore.

That was why it didn't have a chance at escaping the sudden flash of black fur that descended upon it like death with claws, teeth and fangs sinking into its soft jugular.

The dark wolf relished in his quick and easy kill, his prey barely gave a fight as it thrashed only lightly in response to the fangs suddenly fastened to its neck. A strangled screech of a noise escaped the back of its crushed voice before it twitched and died in his jaws that never let up the pressure as he started to drag it away, rubbing up against tree trunks to leave a distinctive blood trail.

His senses were so overridden with the fresh kill in his jaws that Darcia failed to realize he was being watched by a predator who far surpassed Razan the leopard. Large, sharp dagger-like fangs poked from its upper lip to curve in tusks bending over the sides of its jaw as the large cat watched lazily with only one eye open at first as the wolf killed the infant. Its long, dark tail swayed lax under the branch it lounged on, but stilled as it realized where the wolf was headed and just what it had done. Both amber eyes snapped open now as the large cat reared up to all fours on the large branch that effectively held its massive weight. A twitch of a snarl curled its teeth when it scented the breeze, trying to figure out what the black wolf's intentions were.

As expected, he could smell the blood of the youngster and the over powering scent of wolves in the wind. The cat knew the den of the wolves was that way and had no concern for them, but why would one of their own lead the god-predators of the forest after them?

And then, he paused. The cat didn't so much as breathe for a second as the scent came to him-

The flower. This mad wolf was leading the blood trail to the flower and that of the red moon. Amber eyes narrowed as he leapt down from his perch with the grandest grace his kind had ever wielded. His long dark tail flicked above him as he momentarily looked over his shoulder where the mother god-predator had left. She was still clueless as to the death of her pup, but he knew that wouldn't last long. She would soon wail for her mate in agony and anger and together they would rampage after their lost young.

There wasn't much time.

The cat sleeked through the forest, becoming a shadow in the trees even with his large size. Golden eyes set determined.

'Must warn the red moon' he thought as he sped off into the darkness.

The true guardian of the forest had been stirred now. Above all predators, even the revered Tyrannosaur, this cat commanded all else and he was on a mission- protect the red moon. His kind only gave birth to one at a time and his mother had been the last female- his father was the only other survivor of his proud saber breed and was old with age. He knew instinctively like any other guardian of the forest before him whom the true prophesized red moon, full moon, new moon and flower were and knew their scents. This black wolf he spotted had no scent since it was covered in the tyrannosaur blood, but the scent of the red moon was fresh and close…

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Heart, Tsume, Hige and Blue all waited outside the den that was hidden behind a thick water fall. It was masterfully used since the water would double as protection in privacy and scent covering. The pack all walked directly under the waterfall to cut off their scent always. This way, no predators, like the ancient Raptors or large jungle cats, even the saber tooth tiger could find them directly, at least the den they couldn't. The cave behind the waterfall had many large trees that were embedded around it so that their strange hallowed larger than life roots acted as small private condo rooms for the wolves- one of which Tsume and Heart had deposited Akira and Kiba in. Cheza bathed in the crystalline pool the waterfall rumbled into. The deep pool was nice and cool and was completely see through. At the very bottom in the middle, a few crystallized stones were embedded into the eroded rock that reflected whatever light was let though from the faint sun above the trees. It reflected one after another and intensified the light slightly. The small pool trailed inside the cave behind the waterfall and lightened the dark walls with in naturally in a mysterious way.

Cheza could feel all plants around her eagerly send out their greetings, but each and every tree, bush or other odd plant that reached out to speak to the beautiful flower maiden urged her onward to the tree of ages that awaited their return. She still could barely feel the actual ancient tree from so far away. It had gotten fainter as they moved further away from it, but Cheza felt slightly relived with that fact. She was getting tired of its constant nagging at her to return and set its paradise free. She knew it was her destiny to return, but everyone needed a break from constant nagging, right?

Tsume and the others had watched over her as she fed and drew from the nutrients around her in the beautifully mineral water falls just outside the den and she felt rejuvenated for it. She had had her fill, but now they all awaited the return of Sarabi, Sabriel and Teal. Terk had sent them out to scout the area since one of their patrols hadn't returned from their morning routinely scout out on their boarders along the female Rex territory.

The female had been very territorial as of lately, but the pack reacted in kind and let her have her space, not completely understanding why, but it had become obvious when she started to wander nearer and nearer the male Rex's territory on the other side of the 'grazer lands' where larger dinosaurs and even some 1st ice age creatures roamed. It was an area where the trees weren't as dense, but there was still the overwhelming canopy that sealed life from the sun above. Even short-haired woolly mammoths roamed those lands, but they were increasingly rare as they were the Rex's favorite in the hotter months for food.

Hige's ears perked up first as the scent of wolf blood caught his attention in the on coming slight breeze that was very weak, but enough for his highly tuned senses to catch.

"Wolf blood" he said dimly.

Cheza shuddered in the water and Heart wadded in to hold her, offering some sort of comfort.

"Do you think the Rex or what ever it is got them?" Tsume assumed.

Hige's nose started to twitch again and shook his head, "Not Sabriel or anyone, but I do smell wolf blood. That patrol they sent out earlier probably isn't coming back. The three of them should be on their way back or here by now."

"Let them take their time" Blue snorted, "I don't like the way that she-wolf acts around Kiba and Akira. She's like… well…. Like…," she couldn't describe it really, only that she felt annoyed about it.

"An in-heat cat?" Heart offered slyly.

"And just whom are you calling feline?"

Heart rolled her eyes, "Speak of the bitch and she appears…" she grumbled.

Cheza giggled at Heart's distasteful tone, finding it amusing some how. Tsume just shook his head at the females brash insult that wasn't quite enough to slide pass Sabriel's or anyone else's hearing. She could be very straight forward at times, but this time, Heart made a point to show Sabriel her obvious distaste for her.

"May I remind you whose den you're residing in?" Sabriel snarled lowering her head.

"May I remind you I could care less if we were in a rabbits den?" at the low growl from both Teal and Sabriel, Heart grinned sinisterly, happy to have gotten to them so easily, "The only reason we're here is for Kiba and Akira to rest- then we leave"

"My Kiba will go nowhere with out me" Sabriel spat back highly.

"He never was yours to begin with" Blue retorted.

"Hold that tongue half-breed!" Sabriel snarled viciously at Blue who stood her ground.

"Why you-," Heart started, but someone walked through the falls. Another red she-wolf with determined orange eyes set on Sabriel caught the over confidant purebred's attention.

"It's unwise to provoke them as such. I would not suggest it." Akira said calmly.

"Akira?" Hige tilted his head, "You're awake?"

Akira approached him and Tsume with a light-hearted nodded as she greeted them with a smile, "Yes, I'm awake now." She smiled, glancing at Sabriel, "I heard a dieing bird and woke up to come here and see what all the fuss was about."

Hige and Tsume stared down surprised at the small female between them- shocked that she had just openly insulted Sabriel.

"Ah-Akira?" Hige blinked.

"You think I am fazed by the anger of a few half breeds? I have nothing to fear- they are at my mercy here" Sabriel snorted.

"Sis…." Sarabi warned, seeing the fire collect behind Akira's subdued eyes, and with that subtle scent he caught from her, he was almost sense something about the female seemed off. Even Teal could sense the smaller female restraining on a hidden anger that was about to snap, but unlike the younger pup, he was excited- a BITCH FIGHT!

Sarabi rolled his eyes at the subordinate's lusty pants for some action to get going on between the two females. The silver eyed young wolf took in Akira and snorted, 'She wouldn't have taunted Sabriel if she knew her condition, besides' He looked away to his sister, seeing the growing anger roll off her in waves, 'The little she wolf isn't gaining any extra weight than normal. She cant be pregnant…' he denied, but he still felt that nagging feeling that he was wrong and that Akira was in fact pregnant. No matter how unlikely it seemed.

"Why do you continually insult half breeds?" Akira challenged, "they only differ in how far a stick was shoved up your ass- which people like you have it a bit too far up to really see it anymore." Akira coolly snapped back, still restraining the violence she felt toward the female for all that she's caused Akira to feel.

"Oh, now you're insulting me?" Sabriel seemed to find a secrete joke, but neither male on either side were laughing.

"I'm only telling you how it is." Akira growled venting just a bit more for her anger that continued to rise with the bitch's attitude, "I'd rather not sugar coat anything more when it comes to you." she took a step forward.

"Oh, really now?" Sabriel taunted as she matched Akira's step, "For a bitch who cowered under a male in the face of danger you're certainly bold and forward"

"Yeah. But, you see, if I'm not forward I don't get the satisfaction of seeing your face when I tell you truths rather than lies and you can't do anything because you know they're ugly truths too." Akira grinned, actually feeling good with this spark of a flame burning between them.

The other wolves wisely stepped back, giving the two prowling females more than enough room as they circled one another snapping insults back and forth and snapping threatening fangs.

"Why don't you attack then?" Sabriel taunted with a lash of her long tail, "Or are you afraid your lover will punish you for attacking his other half?"

"You're not his other half" Akira's anger was at its boiling point. She only felt this way for two others before- Jagura and that wolf back on the island with Zali- Mose. Darcia wasn't one because he scared the living shit outta her, "He doesn't love you"

"What's love got to do with it?" Sabriel cooed in her taunt, "Did you actually believe him? Don't you know wolves can have many lovers, even booty calls, but when they mate they no longer sugar coat it with gentle proclamations of love?"

Akira snarled as she paused in her prowl. Her growl got louder as Sabriel had the audacity to laugh at her.

"You really are naïve aren't you? What makes you ever think he'd go for a scrawny little half pint hybrid like you?"

"BITCH!" Akira launched at Sabriel, but the red wolf was ready for it and slipped out of the way, letting Akira launch into the cool water instead.

"You'll have to better than that, hybrid mutt to get me!" she chuckled, but was cut off when the said hybrid mutt shot out of the water and slammed into her, taking her to the ground where they rolled around for dominance of the fight.

"THIS MUTT'S GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!" Akira snarled.


	34. Chapter 33 Red Rage

Chapter 33 Red Rage

A/N- Updating early! Why? Because exactly 4 hours b4 the bus to Houston left, I chickened out and said I didn't want to go (been there done that already, didn't really want to do it again) Cowardly? Oh defiately. I'm still trying to figure it all out completely, BUT I do have good reasons (ah excuses, excuses) Texas sadly is where most of the trauma has happened in my life and I'm just now getting over 16 years of it (was raised as a what you would call a "Hospital-Child" always going to some specialty hospital for birth defect not going into right now- it's taken care of, and this 18 year old's ready to put the past behind her and LEAVE it there. Meaning NO.TEXAS.VISITS.4.A.WHILE.

Not that it matters much, but I decided to make up for my cowardliness in a form of a long, very hopelfully exciting chapter

A few notes on the reviews (basic responses)

I cant really say much in where this is going because there is no real pre-laid plan anymore. All the plans I had WRITEN out are now posted (yep, this is the latest from my creative mind on paper… well…. Pc paper…)I do however know where the main plots' going and what's going to happen since it's all in my head (yes, that sounds psychotic to me too when I just wrote that….. fear not, I am sane!…. mostly) reason for putting this bit of info here- not all resposes to reviews I'm for sure for real on since I tend to be spontaneous whith what I write. (apologetic bow and grin) srry-

Anyways….

Q- Will Akira die before she gives birth?

-she's still not that far along (on human terms which is what I'm going by in this fic) so no she wont give birth before the red moon kahoona or what ever. I haven't decided if she dies yet, but then again, the opening to paradise is going to go a bit "different" this time than in the manga or anime (as is everything else practically. Look I hired the Jurassic park staff even! ((runs away from angry Tyrannosaur looking for baby)) maybe I shouldn't have invited those two….)

Q-Does Kiba and Akira ever find out that Akira's pregnant and if so when?

-I don't wanna answer that one just yet…. It would ruin a very good scene I have laid out…. (pouts)

Q-How many pups is Akira going to have?

-Right now the count is roughly five give or take one (they all so cute! I love planning them out!)

Q- where are the lemons?

-(scratches back nervously) eh, he, he, he….. Well like I said, I'm a bit spontaneous (especially with this particular fic, that's why I love writing it!) so when I said lemons after chapter 30, I expected it to be almost over…. But we still have a little ways to go. THERE WILL BE A LEMON, BUT IT WILL PROBABLY BE IN THE LAST CHAPTER (heads up for everyone early for now. When the last chapter is? Eh, I dunno. Probably near the forty-range)

Q-Is there going to be a sequel?

-As of now? No. but so far, the epilogue I have planned out will most likely be either the longest chapter I've ever written or chopped up into minni chapters….

That's most of the questions that jumped out at me this time. If you have any questions, go ahead and post them in the reviews. If I feel the answers reveal too much, I'll try and post responses again next chapter.

SPECIAL THANKS- TheLeopardDemenNovelist, Shadow, Little Shadow (u guys r the best!)

Acknowledgements--

Anon(1), EternalOctberNight, Furyguy, Blackwidow, RedFang, fannyone325, AngelOfVengeance, freddbing323, Dhole, White Fang, SilenceofDoom, emilyruby, Venom, FangsofFury, stargirl, Vixie, howling1, Quickstrike, Prettykitty67, Savagecreature, Anon(2), coldfire, TheLeopardDemenNovelist, freakingod, Aquamarine, Hellhound, blackpanther, bloodymary, CrimsonTiger, Dusk, Dawn, Emeraldragon, Sabertooth, froggy4543, lucky, sweetooth, HottyKat, TwiLightzone, Wildcreature, tigerjaw, Carnage, gossip girl, Solarwind, QueenofSpades, Shurtugal, Datilla Wolfsbane, wolfsbane, Snowstar, Hybrid, Siren, alvinfreak676, WildKat (whoooh…… is that it? Good, I hope I mentioned all of you!)

Now I've stopped u enough, read and enjoy!

Chapter 33 Red Rage

Sabriel was startled when the small runt of red fur shot up at her from her low crouch, but it wasn't an unwelcome surprise. Terk had a rule that no one was to any of the strange wolves unless you were attacked first. Since Akira made the first move, Sabriel was just saved the wrath of her brother for breaking his alpha rule.

The taller, more skilled she wolf reared on her hind legs, shoved her front paws on Akira's neck as the smaller red wolf got close enough in mid air leap and then shoved her down to the dirt, jarring the younger wolf with the harsh impact to the tough ground underneath them where rocks resided under the soft dirt top layer. Sabriel reveled in the yelp that escaped Akira for only a moment before she herself yelped as another set of fangs snagged her in the side.

Sabriel wailed in pain and scurried off Akira's flailing form, but Heart never let up on her slash of claws as her fangs lodged tighter into the skin she had been able to clamp down on. The red-eyed black wolf snarled in rage as she wrestled the red she wolf, furious that the bitch had hurt Akira, whom she was still very protective of.

"HEART!" Akira barked.

Heart stilled, but didn't let go of the struggling red wolf under her. Though Sabriel was taller than any of the rest of the females in Heart's small ragtag pack, Heart was more muscular and adapt to fighting dirty. The black wolf ears tilted toward Akira to show she was listening. Red eyes met with orange and Heart suddenly felt chilled at the look in Akira's eyes. They were dead set and serious.

"Let her go, Heart." Akira said in her soft voice that was tightened with fury, "This is _my _fight."

Heart's teeth let up on Sabriel and the red she wolf snarled, twisting about to slash at Heart. The black wolf snarled back, but backed out of the way before the snap of sharp, pearly white fangs could scathe her glossy fur.

Sabriel started for her, but Akira got in her way; head lowered, tail raised and all fur about her bristled as her lips curled angrily about her fangs in a vicious snarl of warning.

"FIGHT ME!" Akira demanded, and the two red wolves clashed at once, bounding in the air simultaneously this time. Neither wanted to wait for the other to move first, they both wanted a piece of the other now- it was personal from here forward for various reasons on either conscious as teeth and claw cut into the other as their bodies slammed against one another, trying to over power the other female.

"Wha… what's gotten into her?" Tsume awed. A chill surged up his spine as he watched the two rip at one anther's skin, staining their already red fur a deeper shade. Akira's white under belly and muzzle were splattered in deep red with her own blood and Sabriel's that she managed to cut through. It wasn't like Tsume had never seen brutal blood fights before, but this was Akira! He just didn't think she had it in her with all her laid-back attitude and high objection to any fighting. She avoided fights! Yet here she was, ripping and slashing into this other bitch that crossed her one too many times….

The sight nearly horrified him, it was so surreal.

"I…. I can't believe this…" Hige gulped reluctant to voice his own slight disturbance of the scene the two females made.

Sabriel had once again forced Akira to the weaker position under her paws. Her fangs dived down to tear into Akira's chest, but the nimble smaller she wolf saw it coming and twisted on her back, taking the bite to her shoulders instead. It was just as painful, but at least it was safe from her neck and throat as she shoved her right shoulder into Sabriel's mouth. Sabriel nearly jerked away as her fangs were slapped with the hard bone of the shoulder instead of the soft tissue of the chest, but she went with it, sinking her fangs into the shoulder as she shoved Akira down. The smaller wolf couldn't over throw a large, heavier wolf like Sabriel very easily with her shoulder in jeopardy as Sabriel toyed with just biting hard enough to be shy of shattering the bone.

Akira refused to scream, but it HURT! Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she sucked in a ragged breath. Sabriel bit slightly harder, dragging out a pained, strangled yelp from the small one under her and the female couldn't contain the sadistic grin on her wolfish face.

"AKIRA!" Cheza cried out from where Blue held her. The other wolves wanted to help Akira, but Akira wanted to fight this on her own. She called it _her _fight and so they were obliged to relent to her wish….

But it was getting harder and harder to just watch her be beaten.

She wasn't a fighter like Sabriel was. Even Sabriel wasn't the best of fighters, she had more experience than little non-violent Akira and had a greater advantage, no matter how deeply angry Akira truly was.

"That's it, Sabriel, make her submit to you!" Teal rooted on darkly, "MAKE THAT RED BITCH SUBMIT!" the timber wolf barked.

"Teal," Sarabi glanced at the daring glares the small pack on the other side of Teal before Turing his silver eyes to the timber wolf that was eating the sight of the two females fighting up like it were the best meal he'd ever had, "Unless you want to be in a 4 to 1 fight, shut up"

"They won't attack when I've got a pack of more than 55 wolves behind me." Teal replied, drunk off the excitement of the fast paced fight that had just come to a stand still as Sabriel still held Akira subdued beneath her, "I'll take them all on!" he howled obnoxiously, "OI! SABIE! LEAVE ME SOME WILL YA!"

Sabriel actually chuckled darkly around the flesh she held in her mouth. She tugged at Akira's flesh again, wanting to feel the way the female tried to hold off pained whimpers, "Give up bitch, you're too weak for the full moon and can never hope to be the red moons heart" she muffled with her teeth still latched.

Akira saw red as she felt a force swell inside her, her rage fueled it as it reached higher and higher heights of strength. Akira started to pant as she got all paws back under herself again and got balanced.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TO TELL ME WHO I CAN AND CANT BE!" she snarled, bucking upward and twisting her back, escaping Sabriel's hold as she lifted the larger wolf in the air above her with her shove. The way she twisted let her back shove the air-borne startled female to the side and rolling off balance to the ground.

Sabriel didn't have a chance to get back up again before Akira's small paws punched her with needle sharp claws in the cheek as she shoved her head down to the ground and held it there. Her other paw firmly placed on Sabriel's shoulder, head lowered to the wolf's jugular that rested vulnerably as Sabriel's neck had been bared as she tried to get her bearings. She instinctively froze soon as she felt the telltale prick of Akira's fangs. Akira held her jaws open above the sensitive area on Sabriel's neck, letting the other female just feel that she was beaten, but her heart wouldn't let her take the final plunge to tear out this bitch's throat.

The other wolves were silent in awe as the small she wolf had went against all odds and pinned Sabriel to her place beneath her this time. They all knew what came next- the execution! More wolves from inside the den had ventured outside to see what was going on and were captivated by the brutal fight between their highest ranking female and the small runt that was so alike and yet unalike to Sabriel. Terk had come out as well and was stock-still as he held his breath seeing his sister and the attractive female that caught his eye bloodied and panting. His ear twitched back when he heard a sharp exhale of breath come from Kiba as the white wolf too woke up and ventured out to see what was going on, yet didn't even make it half way out from under the water fall before he too was caught up in the sight of seeing his innocent Akira bloodied in her own blood and that of her adversary's.

Sabriel couldn't take the suspense. She snarled at Akira's hesitation to kill her, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" she demanded, "You've pinned me you idiot! Finish me off!"

Akira panted and pulled back, not letting up on her hold though, but she had started to come back down from her bloodlust high and was horrified at what she was about to do. She shook her head, "N-No" she whispered.

"No? What do you mean NO?" Sabriel demanded, not daring to move though should she trigger the other wolf into doing the deed in a more painful way, "YOU'VE BEATEN ME! NOW TAKE YOUR PRIZE AND KILL ME BITCH!"

Akira snarled at her and snapped her fangs, startling everyone and making Sabriel stiffen in preparation, but Akira didn't move any closer to ripping out her throat, "Why do I have to kill you? Do you really want me to?" she gritted through her teeth.

"It's the way things are. The weak don't live and so when they loose a fight they obviously must give their lives as sacrifice to the winner for challenging them!" Sabriel spat back, "Don't you know anything about pack law?"

collective gasps were heard in hushed mummers as Akira backed away from Sabriel, confusing the poor she wolf as she suddenly felt the slight weight from Akira back off her. Sabriel rolled to sit up on her side, staring at Akira in disbelief as the orange eyed female bowed her head, panting, but the glare in her eyes set on her own silver. Still furious, but lacking the blood lust,"Wa-… what the…?"

"I never grew up with a pack" Akira explained softly.

Kiba's ears flattened to his head as he could see her wince in pain. She wasn't whispering to be quite like usually, she was whispering because that's all she could muster though her voice. She was straining to stay up now on all four legs.

"Akira…" he whispered, starting to go to her side to help, but Terk stopped him a moment.

"Let her say what she needs to say first" the larger bear-like wolf rumbled lowly so he didn't disturb what ever ways going on between the two females.

"I never learned the raw instinct to kill. I honestly can't stand it." Akira bit out venomously at the thought, "I was raised to cherish life and that it was a sin against all else to kill one's own blood."

"But you're a _hybrid_" Sabriel protested as she sat up on her haunches, panting in exhaustion as well now.

Akira smirked, "Still part wolf, bitch. As much as I hate you- and believe me that's a lot coming from me" she snorted as an after thought, "I will not kill you. I refuse to kill other than for food or otherwise necessary. You don't really want to kill me, you just see me as an obstacle to get to Kiba."

Sabriel was silent, in awe of this gutsy little hybrid, preaching to her like an admonished pup!

"You must realize something though," Akira took in a deep breath, trying to gather all her courage for what she was about to do. She glanced at Kiba, locking her gaze to his for a moment as he started to come forward to her once again with a gentle smile on his face, 'this is for you.' she thought and then looked back at Sabriel in the eyes, "Kiba will never be your full moon or your anything other than friend." She warned.

Sabriel and the rest of the shell-shocked wolves around her watched on as Kiba approached her side, nuzzling Akira's chin lovingly and letting Akira's head nuzzle back under his head in a wolfy hug. Both took the moment to feel one another, enjoy their small moment between them.

"I….I don't know what to…. What do you really say to that?" Sabriel coughed awkwardly.

"TYRANOSAURS!!" a scream in the woods burst through, startling everyone once again from the sudden scream, "TYRANOSAUUU-ARS!!"

A dark wolf with wide eyes, terrified and dilated shoved though the crowd of wolves as he burst through the trees to fall at Sabriel's paws. His fur was matted in blood and his wounds were so gruesome it was a wander he was still among the living.

"Gideon?" Sabriel blinked down at the lesser wolf, "Gideon, calm down, what are you saying Tyrannosaurs for?"

"The male…" Gideon heaved in a breath, "He was the one who was on the edge of our territory! It was he who killed off our brothers!"

"Yeah, but he's gone now right?" Teal snorted, "What's gotten you up all in a twist man?"

"No, no, no! He brought his mate!" Gideon gasped falling to his belly, unable to stand anymore, even in a crouch, "They've crossed the territory bounds! They're headed here and will be here at the den with in minutes! They're destroying every thing in their path!"

"Why would the Rex cross territories?" Terk demanded, "Their own lands are the largest hunting grounds of all! They've had plenty of prey to feed them and don't ever bother to cross our lines."

"They were following a trail already lain out, Terk" Gideon panted.

"What kind of trail?" Terk approached the dieing male, "OI! You have a duty to your pack! Don't die on us just yet boy!"

"B-blood. They follow a …. Trail of…. Blood" Gideon's last words were whispered as he died from his wounds.

"G-Gideon?" Sabriel sniffed at her pack mate sadly nudging him, "He… he's dead."

"Terk…" Sarabi approached his older brother, "Why would those Rex follow a trail of blood to here of all places? What reason do they have?"

"Probably just following their wounded prey that may have escaped them. Rex don't like to let their prey get away- their sore losers." Terk snorted in reply, "Especially when said prey wanders into our territory."

Blue turned to Hige who had thrust his nose to the air to gage the scent of blood himself, "What is it Hige?" she asked.

"Their right, it's blood, but…." Hige's brows furrowed.

"But what?" Teal bit out irritably impatient.

"It's blood that smells like them- young blood that smells like them…." Hige relayed what he sensed. The rest of the wolves of the forest pack were all at once silent.

"You're sure it's younger?" Sarabi asked seriously.

Hige nodded, "Yeah. It has that sweet scent of young animals."

"Damn it all to hell…" Terk grumbled as his pack started to panic, "OI! EVERYONE!" he commanded attention with his deep rumble of a voice, "THE REX CANNOT FIND THE DEN NO MATTER WHAT! SO LONG AS WE ALL WAIT THEM OUT INSIDE, EVEN IF THEY SOMEHOW WANDER TO THE FALLS, THEY CANT GET IN THE DEN- THE FALLS ARE TOO SMALL AND TOO STURDY!" he looked around at he petrified pack, "Well? MOVE PEOPLE! THEY'RE COMING RIGHT? GET INSIDE THE DEN!" he bellowed.

All at once, the entrance to the den was crowded as the 55-odd wolves packed in to the safety of their falls-covered den.

"Come on Akira," Kiba nudged the tired she-wolf to follow in suit.

Akira nodded, but stopped when she saw the water move. She did a double take while Kiba kept walking a head of her, staring perplexed at the ripple in the water- a tremor…

There…. There it happened again!

'What's going on? Is that the Tyrannosaurs?' her heart plummeted through her stomach at the thought of such a creature that could make water and plants tremble before it even arrived!

"Akira?" Cheza called.

Kiba stopped and turned to look over his shoulder at her, "Akira, come on, they'll be here any moment!"

Akira's heart pounded as her ears started to pick up the low guttural snarls and growls of something large approaching, and there was a set of them. A rhythmic pound of what sounded like foot steps shook the earth below her paws and had her entire body going into adrenaline surge to make up for what her injuries were seeping out of her reflexes. A shiver went up her spine and every thing that was committed to living inside her being was screaming 'RUN!'

"GRROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!" a sudden, not-so-far-off roar thundered through the trees and had Akira dashing after Kiba to the falls where both of them disappeared just as two new creatures the size of the trees themselves lumbered in, sniffing about….

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"H-how did they get here so fast?" Sarabi panted once inside the falls.

"I thought they took their time moving about, even hunting!" Teal barked.

"SHUT UP!" Terk snapped at them and the rest of the pack around the interior of the den when he noticed a large muzzle poke through the water vale of the den. The Rex's small nostrils flared and snorted the water from them, only to take in a deep breath, no doubt getting a full impacting scent of wolves. A low, angry growl rumbled and reverberated off the den walls, chilling all occupants to staying very still and many hearts to jump or even stop in fear.

The muzzle drew back from the water falls, giving the wolves a small sense of relief that was taken away just as quickly when they heard the angry roar-

"CRRRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!"

The walls around them started to tremor as a heavy impact slammed into their walls. Dirt from the ceiling above them trickled down loosely and some rocks and roots were knocked loose, falling to the crowd of wolves below and terrorizing them.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?" Teal demanded.

"The-They're trying to break down the den!" Sabriel gasped as her fear was sending her into a state of panic, "What ever they came here for- they're out for vengeance! They won't leave until they've killed something!"

"Maybe it's the damned flower!" Teal tossed the idea out, "After all, not only wolves are affected by her, right? What if they're after her?"

Another slamming, terrifyingly powerful impact shook them and simultaneous screams of terror form the pack inside rang out as they were all packed in like sardines while the monsters outside banged themselves against the exterior, trying to break in.

"AND JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT US TO DO ABOUT IT?" Hige demanded, "ENOUGH WITH ALL THE EXCESS INFORMATION ABOUT THESE THINGS- WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT US TO DO?" he demanded as he braced himself over Blue's back protectively against he wall.

"Throw the flower out to them" Teal demanded, looking from the frightened Cheza to the shocked Terk.

"Throw the flower out?" Terk echoed in disbelief, "Have you gone mad?" 

"Look, if they don't calm down from her presence, they'll kill her and be distracted enough for us to get away!" Teal bit out as yet another impact shook them and Cheza cried out in fear. Her wail was a pitch higher than the highest of the wolves screaming in terror with her. an answering roar from the Tyrannosaurs outside called back just before yet another resounding body-slam they smashed into the side of the study den- this time, the den started to crumble more from the inside…

"NO!" Akira wailed when she saw Terk actually considering the offer Teal made, "You CAN'T!" she huddled over Cheza, holding the shivering flower to her.

"Cheza's not going anywhere near those things!" Kiba snarled.

"We would never give them the flower, would we brother" Sarabi reassured, but Terk didn't answer. Sarabi could only stare in shock as he saw his brother actually considering throwing out the flower they'd waited for so long to come for them, "BROTHER!"

"We don't have to sacrifice anybody" Sabriel said placating as another impact shook the den and the interiors caved in just a bit more. Whatever they were going to do it had to be done quick, "There's another way out of the den. We can all make it since the Rex's are preoccupied at the front."

"What ever we're gonna do, we need to do NOW!" Tsume demanded, "If we stay here much longer, the den will come down on us!"

"Head to the back of the den and tell the wolves in front to ram bodily at the small boulder at the back- it's a set up for an escape route the Alpha's were supposed to use incase there should be an event like this. It leads to the tall grass just outside and behind the den. The grass will hide our scent well enough since they're already distracted. So long as we keep quite, we can make it to the river and loose them"

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Terk barked out orders to his pack and they were suddenly in motion. As one, the whole pack herded through the passages of the den- some places further back were already caved in, but luckily the alpha's chambers were still intact and the wolves in front slammed through the small boulder that looked bigger and more solid than it really was. It crumbled with out too much of a fight and the wolves all flowed out of the opening and into the grass much taller than the wolves themselves. Normally this would make them nervous, but it only served to hide them better from the towering Tyrannosaurs at the front of the den still ramming into it, none the wiser that their prey had flown the coop out the back way.

Terk wiggled out of the hole a bit too small for his large and bulky frame before his siblings and guests and addressed his pack that were waiting on the other side, still hyped up in fear. They were murmuring amongst themselves.

"Where's your backbones?" he admonished lightly at their fearful display, "It's not much further! Keep moving- the Tyrannosaurs could still catch our scent" he spoke lowly so his voice didn't carry to the dinosaur predators and alert them they had indeed escaped.

"Aright- This way people, FOLLOW ME!" Teal nearly shouted.

The other wolves cringed, almost in pain. Tsume- who was still in the den looked over his shoulder to see the Rex's had hesitated- hearing Teal's shout.

"Damn mutt! Are you trying to get us killed?!" Tsume hissed.

"Teal!" Sabriel, Terk and Sarabi snapped in hushed tones.

The timber wolf turned his head to look at them curiously in a bored way, "What?" he then turned around and lifted a paw to part the long grass, never seeing the dark shadow just beyond the grass stalks that lumbered above him until it was too late.

"CRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!" a raptor cried out as it shot its head out of the grass Teal had just parted, startling the whole pack.

"OH SHI- AHHHH!!" Teal cried out in pain as the said raptor latched onto his extended foreleg and dragged him into the tall grass. His screams of terror and pain frightened the other wolves in scattering as the beast ate him alive.

"RAPTORS!"

"RUN!" 

The pack screamed and scattered in all directions like a flock of chickens that just spotted a fox in the chicken coop.

"NO! DON'T SCATTER! STAY TOGETHER!" Terk desperately tried to reach his pack, but they wouldn't listen and as such, tried to run away from danger blindly. A whole pack of raptors made themselves known as they tore through the pack now, picking off wolf by wolf as they pleased, "NOOO!" Terk raged as he saw his pack being slaughtered.

"TERK!" Sabriel cried out as her elder brother pounced on a near by raptor. The raptor fell down in surprise and clawed at the large wolf that snapped at it, cutting in to Terks sensitive underbelly.

"HANG ON TERK!" Sarabi darted for his brother to aid him in killing the raptor, just as fired up as his brother had been.

"SARABI!" Sabriel wailed in terror.

"What the hell's going on out there?" Hige ducked his head to look out, but yanked it back in time to avoid getting his head ripped off from a raptor that found the hole inside the den. It snarled and hissed at the wolves as it tried to wiggle inside, but its protruding hips and long legs were unable to get through so it started to dig.

"Move_Move__**MOVE!!**_" Tsume shoved the 6 wolves and Cheza to move back and started to go the other way through the den, not wanting to be there waiting for the raptor when it got through and showed its buddies its new discovery.

"But wait-," Blue panted, "Isn't this the way to the-,"

"CRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHAAAAAWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRR" a barreling elephant like rumble sounded above them and they suddenly found themselves looking up at two suspecting tyrannosaurs that were also the largest creatures any of them had ever seen.

"WHAT THEY HELL HAPPENED OT THE ROOF?" Heart gasped.

The larger of the two giants twitched it's snout in a snarl and opened its mouth wide, showing off deadly rows of daggers and swords it called teeth that were tainted with blood stains and breath stunk of the dead as it exhaled over them just as its jaws dove for a bite at one of them.

"WHO CARES- GAIN-WAY!" Tsume lunged at Heart, taking her down to the ground and protecting her with his own body as the Rex's teeth snapped thin air since Hige and Kiba also maneuvered to protect Blue, Akira and Cheza.

Soon as the bite had passed by, Kiba shot up, dragging Akira and Cheza with him, "NOW- RUN NOW!" he called out, darting between the Male-Rex's legs, confusing it for a moment as it ducked its head to try and watch him. Its mate roared and bent down to try and take a bite out of the other wolves. When she also couldn't get to them since the various rubble around them prevented her teeth from snagging them, she stomped in agitation, slashing her tail from side to side.

The male raised his head, smelling blood of their young one near by and hearing the terrorized screams behind the den. He rumbled lowly to his mate to get her attention and she too momentarily forgot the wolves at their feet to listen.

Now was their chance!

The four of them dashed one by one after the other under the distracted Tyrannosaurs and followed Kiba's example to dash into the trees, slowing down to catch their breath once they were with in their safety and saw the predators going after the screams.

"So-so that was a…. T-Rex?" Blue panted in disbelief.

"No, that was a pair of Rex." Heart corrected in mild humor.

Kiba turned to Akira who flattened herself against he tree trunk. She seemed to be in pain and she grasped her head as she sat in human form now. Her fists were tangled in her long brick red tresses as she shivered. Her knees were pulled against her chest as she heaved for her next breath. He too turned human and tried to take her up in his arms as best he could, kissing any part of her he could reach to try and help soothe her.

"Akira? Akira can you hear me? Are you alright? Akira!" he nervously called out to her.

"My… My head hurts and my…. Abdomen hurts too…" she shivered, "I feel like I'm gonna hurl!"

"Don't do that, the raptors will pick up that scent quicker than blood!" Tsume warned.

It was too late.

"SCREEEEEEEEEEEAAAAW" a scream of said raptor as it made its self and 8 others known. They were a small troop in the large pack that now hunted among the Tyrannosaurs that raided the wolf den.

"DAMN IT!" Tsume looked up to the trees, "HEART, GET YOURSELF, BLUE AND THE OTHERS UP THERE!" he commanded as he attacked one of them.

"AND LEAVE YOU HERE ALONE?" she snarled back, darting into battle along side him, fed up with being hunted when she was the huntress!

Blue and Hige shot into battle as well, snarling and keeping their guards tightly up, leaving no openings for the cunning raptors.

"K-Kiba!" Cheza shivered as she felt the demonic presence of the creatures again. Their aura was too violent for the flower to handle with their vicious instincts to kill and cold feeling of death that hung on them.

"Akira…" Kiba whispered with his back to her as he faced off the other prowling raptors, "Get Cheza up the tree."

"But-,"

"JUST DO IT!" he demanded as he leaped at the raptors to throw them off from Akira and Cheza's trail, "GO! NOW!"

Akira scooped up Cheza in her arms and took her up the tree, but was blocked by a raptor that leaped up a higher branch, snapping at her. It bent low and arched its back as its long neck stretched out to reach her, reminding Akira vaguely of a snake striking. Her human body nimbly avoided it's snapping jaws but there was only so much she could do in this form with Cheza in her arms, trying to balance in a tree with out falling down to the other raptors below and dodging the rapid snake-like attacks of the damned raptor that found out it could climb damned trees!

Cheza screamed in terror as Akira leaned back as far as she could to avoid the lightning fast snake-like snap of the Raptors jaws that clipped a few of Cheza's already short lavender hairs.

Akira's eyes widened in anger that the beast dared harm her charge. Her orange eyes flashed ferally at the cold reptilian eyes that leered back. The raptor cocked back its head to strike yet again, this time Akira was ready for it.

"So you think you can just go around snapping at every one like you're king of the beasts huh?" she snarled in anger as she waited until the last possible moment to lean back and avoid the snap of the raptors jaws and then lashed her left leg out powerfully to slam her steel-toe boot into its jaw and sent it flying backwards. It caught its self on the tree branch, digging its claws into the bark to hold on tightly and avoid falling down just yet. It shook its head confused that its prey had stricken it so harshly. It righted itself and snarled with a hiss of pure rage, the blood lust clear in its eyes.

"Damn it! Bloody good that did!" Akira took a step back as her fear started to kick in again, "Now it just got angrier!" she held her breath as the predator prowled after them with its head lowered and tail lashing behind it. Cold eyes set on them un-blinking with terrifying glints to them that promised painful horrifying deaths.

"AKIRA!" Cheza wailed, burrowing her head into Akira's chest, too afraid to even face the dark aura of the beast.

"Hang in there Cheza" Akira whispered, but her voice quivered in fear as well as she limberly dodged the raptors attacks. She bent around the tree branches, trying to fake the raptor off and get pass it to the higher branches, but it kept up with her, snapping its powerful jaws, trying to tear off some juicy flesh from one of the females, but Akira kept dodging just out of reach- further aggravating the beast in doubling its efforts and coming at them faster!

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT ALREADY!" Akira shifted to the side just in time to miss the raptors clamping jaws. Instead of her head, they clamed down on the small branch that was eye-level to her behind her. Its teeth embedded into the bark and snapped the branch out of place as she backed out a safe distance. It cornered her away from the trunk of the tree and she had no other branches to leap too that were close enough since it had snapped the closest one she could reach with Cheza in her arms. It tore its head away from the savagely ripped branch, noticing with predatory pride that she had no where else to go. It bent its body low and cried out.

"CRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH" it hissed at her as it stomped on the branch to make it sway under Akira's footing and handicap her escape quicker.

"Cheater!" Akira hissed back as she tried to do a balancing act and was failing as she wobbled back and forth trying desperately to stay upright on the branch and get as far away from snapping jaws as she could.

Akira leaned back too far when it got close enough to snap at her in close range again and her footing slipped on the rough branch beneath her, sending her falling to the forest floor. She held Cheza tightly to her bridal style as she braced herself for the oncoming impact, rounding her back so she'd take the brunt of the fall and leave Cheza unharmed. She must protect the flower!

"KYAAAAAHHHH!!" Cheza screamed as the Raptor dive bombed after them. Extending its claws, knowing it had them now since Akira wouldn't be able to recover from such a fall so quickly and with the Raptor falling just after them, they didn't have a chance.

Akira screwed her eyes shut, holding Cheza tighter as the ground rushed up at them. She was ready to maybe even die on impact, but no impact came as she suddenly was suspended by her over shirt collar. She looked up to see a massive muzzle of a black feline. Her brown thin short sleeved trench coat collar was grasped firmly between its front teeth as if it were handling a cub. Golden amber eyes tired their best to look back down at her in concern as he set them down. It was hard to tell much else about his coloring but from the glimpse she saw of him, its fur was definitely black. The cat was HUGE! He was larger than the raptors even! He looked larger than a bear as he reared up on his hind legs and swiped the raptor down in mid air as if it were just a bird annoying him. With a hiss and the bearing of its long swords of saber fangs the cat stood over Akira and Cheza protectively as it arched its back.

The raptor shook its head to shrug off the blow of the massive paw. It hopped back to its feet and snarled back at the cat- 2 others on either side of it now as they orientated themselves to attack the cat.

The cat bent low, "Take the flower out of here." he rumbled with a deep purr.

Akira could only dumbly nod as she slowly slipped back out from under the cat to behind it. Glancing around, seeing her friends and Kiba fighting the raptors. They had barely noticed she nearly died or the fact that there suddenly was a saber-toothed panther of such in their midst!

Though, looking at them with at least three to one odds with the raptors being the upper hand, Akira couldn't blame them as she knew they were well preoccupied.

"Stay close to trees. Is safer that way" the big cat rumbled, "Go now!"

"Right!" Akira nodded, dashing off- not knowing where the sudden burst of energy and courage to leave him came from. Her instincts told her to stay under the cat where it was safest until the real threat was gone and then run like hell from the cat, yet her she was obeying the cat and running away as fast as her feet would carry her in human form.

She looked over her shoulder after awhile and tripped forward as her ankle caught a root. She pitched forward with a squeal, accidentally tossing Cheza out of her arms and before her. The fainted flower maiden rolled gently on the ground. The plants around her magically softened so she didn't harm herself in her unconscious flight and softened for her fall. Akira wailed as pain shot through her ankle. She hissed as she inhaled and her heart leaped.

'Blood…' she thought as the coppery tang hit her full force. It was close…. Was it a predators kill? She gulped as she saw a trace of blood around the tree root she tripped on and followed the thick trail to the foliage to her right. It looked like a small raptor with a bulkier head and a ripped out throat! Flies swarmed it greedily making Akira snort.

She shakily found a way to breathe again, and doubled her efforts to forget the pain in her ankle, get Cheza, and get out of here!

She stood up, favoring the ankle and dusted her pants off just before someone covered her mouth and wrapped the other arm around her arms and waist from behind her, dragging her up to a very solid body that chuckled as she started to struggle.

"Now, now little one" Darcia smirked in her ear as she stilled in fear, "Don't be afraid of your intended."

Akira bit his hand until he jerked it away, hissing in pain, "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM- OOMPH…." Darcia turned her around quickly and belted her in the stomach- hard enough to knock the breath out of her and knock her out, but soft enough not to kill the pups just yet. He had other more enjoyable ways of doing that once they got to paradise.

"The baby demon creature was a good idea- the parents flushed my little she wolf out and delivered her and my flower right to me…" he chuckled darkly just as she lost consciousness.

"Ki….Kibaahh" she whispered out as best she could, wanting to call out to him- to warn him of Darcia, but she was too weak as she succumbed to the cold darkness that took her in to their bottomless pits of nothingness. In the back of her mind, she knew she had to reach them some how….

Drawing on her last strength and using what small hope her human vocals could muster, she threw back her head and howled in a high-pitched warning cry that startled Darcia- who had thought she was already out.

"YYYAAAWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOO-YIIIIA!" she yelped when Darcia smacked her across the face back handed to shut her up.

"Impudent wench…" he grumbled.

Hearing him curse was worth it to her though her cheek was now burning. She panted for breath with a small smirk, knowing the others would get the message somehow……And then, she was out.

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Kiba panted as yet another raptor attacked him. They just wouldn't quite! What started off as eight raptors ended up being 'when one falls another magically appears' scenario. He was getting tired of it! The blood rush all predators have during a fight like this had already come to pass with him and he was no longer driven by the sheer sight of blood being spilt. His only concern now was to find an opening and lead his pack to safety. That also meant getting Akira and Cheza down from what ever tree they had fled to. He hadn't caught a glimpse of them since he sent Akira away to protect the flower!

"_**Mate is good- knows how to handle charge well"**_ his more feral side prided in his mind at the thought of Akira doing the task he asked perfectly.

He tackled another raptor that had taken Hige by surprise and was standing over the fallen brown wolf. His force of momentum had the raptor rolling to its side and lashing up at him. Hige twisted away from under the creature and then slammed his front paws on the side of its head to hold it down while Kiba held most of the body in place. Both wolves dove for the throat and chest, only holding on long enough to know there was no hope for it and then they darted away from it just as two other raptors appeared to take the fallen's place.

"This is getting ridiculous!" Heart snarled as she swiped her claws at an attacking beast to keep it at bay while she caught her breath.

"Why are they all coming at us? There should be a feast back where the Rex are!" Hige roared out in frustration.

"That's the problem isn't it! The REX ARE THERE!" Tsume bit out the obvious. Raptors were vicious, but if something were to frighten them, of course they'd turn tail and run for the next lesser meal. Tyrannosaurs had claimed the larger pack and chased away the raptors from their new minni hunting grounds so the raptors fell back into hunting the smaller pack.

Lucky them….

"I don't know how much longer we can fight them" Blue panted, "They won't give us an opening for escape either!"

"They don't want us to escape." Kiba snarled, "They want us to fight until we can't anymore. Sadistic bastards!" he tore through another one, having done so countless times already, he was starting to instinctively know where to attack on these creatures to kill them the fastest.

They were finally starting to thin out- some even hesitated attacking for a moment before they turned tail and retreated. Only the ones that were truly lost to bloodlust stayed now which seemed like only a handful compared to the hoard before.

"They're- THEY'RE LEAVING!" Hige seemed to rejoice.

Kiba was able to stand for more than a few moments to catch his breath as his pack were able to take on the raptors that were left single handedly…. But before they could even kill the little beasties, the raptors all simultaneously jolted to a stop, hesitated chattered to one another and they high tailed it out of there. The wolves looked to each other confused at the sudden abrupt retreat.

"What was that?" Blue panted.

Hige shook his head, "I- I don't know, they just, well they just left!"

The brief silence was pierced with a wailing not far off that had all of them stilling their very breath as anxiety took hold on them, "_YYYAAAWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOO_!"

Kiba's ears stood erect as he stood tall as he could in wolf form, "THAT'S AKIRA!" he started to move toward the noise unconsciously. His wolf demanding to run to its mate and protect her.

"Akira? But she's supposed to-,"

"CRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAOOOOOAAAAAAAAH!" Kiba slid to a stop when one of the Tyrannosaurs burst through the tick foliage and roared its battle cry.

The wolves froze, fear gripping them- Kiba dared not move as he was the closest to it and would have run right into it had it not show its self a moment sooner. His golden eyes wide, but determined to get to Akira.

"Now we know what happened to the raptors…." Tsume gulped as he slowly started to back away.

Hot breath scaled down his spine and Tsume stopped, looking behind him, he jumped away from the large muzzle that had bent low to take in the wolf scent. It was nearly identical to the one that was on the head of the monster in front of them.

The female tyrannosaur behind them tilted her head as she took in the wolf scent. She rolled her eyes, trying to adjust them to the change of light in the darkened forest so she could get a lock on the wolves. In her frustration, she stomped her foot to stand bracingly and bent her head low as she roared out her anger to her mate across from her.

"GRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOARAAAAAAARRRRAAAAHHHHH!" she roared back.

The wolves wouldn't be hearing very well for a while as the loud frequencies of the giant predators nearly sliced their eardrums in half.

Unlike his mate, the male could see the faint glow of white fur marred in blood. The scent of the particular wolf closets to him mixed with blood drew him in like a fly to the trash. His lips curled over his teeth as to take in the scent to be sure the prey was alive and rumbled when he sensed it was. His cold yellow-green eyes lowered to level with Kiba who didn't blink his golden eyes back as the two stared one another down.

Suddenly, the male reared its head back, locked target and dove down for the kill.

Kiba rolled out of the way, but felt the impact of the jaws ramming into the ground he once stood. His heart fluttered in anxiety as he saw the small crater the animal left- that could have been him!

"KIBA! LOOK OUT!" Heart called as the male dove for him again and again, seeming to play a child's game- wacka-mole! - With the wolf.

The female Rex was about to join in with her mate, now that she could see the faint white glow of Kiba's fur through the darkness, but something stopped her. The great Rex curved her head to the side curiously when she heard the deep warning rumble. She took in the scent and became angered and startled all at once as piercing amber eyes glowed in the darkness at her. She couldn't see him, but she could smell the cat that her kind feared as well as anything else in the forest. The panther never ate her kind, given, but the deeply ingrained sense that this was the guardian of her forest and so the greatest of all predators had her on edge.

She roared at him to try and intimidate the cat to back off, but the cold amber eyes didn't even flinch as she roared in his face. They simply stared right on her with death intent should she make the wrong move.

Taking a glace at her oblivious mate, the female kept her eye on the cat, sensing he was stalking closer to get her to run in haste-which she did. The great beast turned tail and ran, not wanting to be in the presence of the ruthless guardian any longer than she had to. Only raptors were vicious enough to even think about attacking the guardian.

The wolves seemed to be in a trance as the black, large cat the size of a grizzly bear gracefully walked through them, flicking his tail in annoyance at the large male that continued to ignore his presence in favor for attacking the only thing he could see- Kiba the white wolf.

Having had enough, the cat hissed so his saber fangs glistened in what little light was in the trees. His golden eyes locking on the male rex that hesitated at the sound. When the male still didn't take the hint and back away, the saber-toothed panther let loose a mighty roar that shook the entire forest. Even the birds shut up at the sound of it. It made the wolves hearts stop for what seemed like the tenth time that day…. Or was it night already?

"GRRROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR" the panther roared in an all commanding rumble.

"Crooooooh" the Rex moaned subordinately. As he reluctantly backed away from the white wolf that stared up at him stunned that the creature was backing off. The rex looked back to the panther, shook its head and then turned to the forest and left, much more dignified than its mate.

After the resounding pounds of its footsteps were gone, the pack could breathe once again, but they were still on edge about this cat- was it friend or foe?

Sensing their unease, the panther chose to talk first, "There is no need to fear this one" he spoke like Cheza did, only his sounded more noble 'I'm far superior to you' than Cheza's humble way of saying it, "This one is a friend. Rest assured I am here to help"

"Who- who are you?" Heart hesitated, still in awe of what's happened.

"YHeah and how did you do that to those …. Things?" Hige blurted out.

"I am Zandar, the guardian of the forest. The tyrannosaurs and everything else with in these walls of the garden cannot beat me and so I am the ultimate predator and alpha here." Zandar replied, "My clan has always been the guardians that were placed here to see to it that the flower and the red moon are brought to the Tree of Ages at the prophesized time,"

"You know about Cheza?" Kiba said.

"I know who she is, who you are, who that red and that black wolf are. I know all" he said simply, okay, so he broke his 'this-one' charade….

"Hey… where is Cheza by the way?" Blue looked around.

"They must still be up in the trees" Kiba looked up and was about to shout when Zandar stopped him.

"You will not find them there" the cat said.

"And why not?" Kiba demanded.

"They fled the battle under my request-,"

Kiba flashed into human form, rushing at Zandar and right-hooking the cat in the face, "WHO THE HELL GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO SEND THEM OFF INTO TO A JUNGLE LIKE THIS YOU BASTARD!" he snarled.

"Ki-Kiba!" Heart yelped.

"Great, just go on and anger the very being in the forest that can sick all the others on us…." Tsume groused.

They were all surprised to see that where Zandar the panther once hunched over, a man with African-dark skin (How do I explain that with out offending somebody…..) wearing clothes similar to that of the Matrix style- black leather trench coat, leather pants, combat boots, the whole works- his head was shaved in a buzz cut and when he turned to them with his amber eyes boring into Kiba's blue ones, you'd instantly thing bear…. Not panther. The man towered pitifully over all of them. His height coming to be about at the very least two heads taller than Tsume.

"I sent them away so that the red moon and the flower could escape with out being marred in blood!" Zandar admitted heatedly, "If you truly see that as wrong, then come at me now, but be warned, just because you are the full moon doesn't mean that I wont feel any regrets for blooding you up, pup" the man rumbled in his deep voice. The baritone could nearly be felt in vibrations in the ground with all its powerful base and solidity to it.

Kiba grimaced, hating to back down like a subordinate, "So just where are they then?" he demanded and bit calmer now.

The other wolves had reverted to human form as well by now, seeing as the two strongest of them were already in humanoid body.

"They are headed to the heart of the sacred garden- the mountain where the tree of ages resides." Zandar turned his back to them and started walking off into the forest, "We must hurry. There's not a moment to loose" he strode off at an extending walk that had the others jogging to catch up.

"What's the rush? You control the forest right?" Hige panted, still exhausted from the fight.

"I control every thing that was born here, but _he_ I do not" Zandar's teeth clenched. Even in this form, his canine teeth where his saber fangs would be were longer than normal, giving him a vampiric look.

"Who's _he_? Another cat?" Tsume asked doubtfully, still wry of the man/cat's story. He was canine after all and had an instinctual distrust for all that is feline. (lol Tsume's intimidated by a cat!)

"_He_ is very well wolf" Zandar smirked back at Tsume feeling his instant guarded attitude for himself, "His clan once roamed these gardens along with Terk's pack, but they felt too isolated here and chose to roam on the land above with the humans…. As a noble"

"You mean…" Tsume started to growl.

"Darcia" Kiba finished coldly.

"Yes brother wolf" Zandar said grimly, "Darcia, the new moon has the flower and the red moon, Akira with in his grasps as well as your future, Kiba"

"My future? You mean Akira?" Kiba tilted his head, as he started to walk faster, wanting to run to her, but Zandar was the only one who knew how to navigate this damned jungle.

Zandar smirked, "Don't tell me the very sly dog that got her pregnant doesn't know he's going to be a father? You mate to be is heavy with your pups and if we don't hurry," to make his point, Zandar started to bolt off, leaving the wolves to follow, but Kiba was already ready for it and kept pace with the panther, "Darcia will kill the young in her womb and replace them"

The panther watched mildly amused as the white wolf pumped further and faster ahead, the look of death in his eyes. Zandar knew now that he had no worries about Darcia reining over paradise, the full moon had all the encouragement he needed to never fail them.

"AKIIIIRAAAAAAHHHHH!!" Kiba howled as he sped off, now knowing instinctively in his heart the direction his mate was being held…….

Dessy- Well at least he knows….

Kiba- YOU COULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT ANY BETTER? A LITTLE LESS SHOCKING?

Dessy- It wouldn't be called fanfiction if I did (grins)


	35. Chapter 34 Bleeding Petals

Chapter 34 Bleeding Petals

A/N- Hello all! Sorry about the long wait, but like usual, life got in the way and I was unable to focus until I forced myself to slow down and at least try. I guess it worked since I have finally returned with another chapter. Lol

ANOUNCEMENT! ANOUNCEMENT!

ANOUNCEMENT!

ANOUNCEMENT!

ANOUNCEMENT!

ANOUNCEMENT!

-I have actually made a MOVIE TRAILER well… FANFIC TRAILER for this fic on Youtube it's really actually quite good if I do say so myself. To find it all you need to do is look up on "Lullaby for a stormy night fanfic trailer" or something along those lines. The maker name will be under KuramaAlchemist.

If you still cant find it, just follow this link:

www .youtube. com /watch?v VzqUVMo9-ew&feature PlayList&p 6CF6079C9AC0D F0F& Index13

-Just remember to take out all the spacing before trying to use the link….

If you still have problems, try this link to my home user page on Youtube:

www. youtube. Com /user/ KuramaAlchemist

Alright, now on to the acknowledgements:

Furyguy, Quickstrike, coldfire, Blackwidow, Sabertooth, SilenceofDoom, stargirl, White Fang, Savagecreature, WildKat, Vixie, alvinfreak676, QueenofSpades, blackpanther, AngelOfVengeance, tigerjaw, gossipgirl, Wildcreature, bloodymary, froggy4543, lucky, FangsofFury, Carnage, HottyKat, howling1, Dhole, Hybrid, Emeraldragon, TwiLightzone, emilyruby, Crimson Tiger, Shurtugal, freakingod, Prettykitty67, sweetooth, freddbing323, RedFang, fannyone325, wolfsbane, Aquamarine, Venom, Siren, Dusk, Dawn, TheLeopardDemenNovelist, Canage, Hellhound, Amber, Solarwind, EternalOctberNight, ….. And I believe that's all of you that reviewed the last chapter? Very well then.

Alright, I've done my share of procrastination, now it's time for you guys to enjoy the next chapter! I'll try and update the next chapter after this one a bit earlier than two-odd weeks (sorry about that)

Read review and enjoy!

Chapter 34 Bleeding Petals

There was a part of the forest where the density of the jungle life thinned until nothing hindered the moonlight from touching the ground. The only thing growing on the soil there was lush green grass that hasn't been grazed on since God himself came down from the mountain to speak to Adam and Eve of the Garden of Eden. The tall grass reached up to the wolves waists in human form as the treaded through it with Zandar leading the way. It was easy to follow such a tall leader since you could always tell which way to go just by searching for the back of his head that stood taller than most other things. He would be hard to hide in a confined space due to his size….

Kiba hadn't left the mans side since they had started off. A while back, just after crossing a small river, Zandar had ordered them to take caution and be silent from hear on in, but didn't bother to tell them why. He did not allow any of them to run ahead and when a murmur went around, he hissed at them for silence, Kiba was getting tired of being pushed around by this feline- guardian or not.

"Why do you insist that we go slower?" Kiba gritted his teeth frustrated as he forced himself to walk at Zandar's side. It was hard work to keep up since for every one step Zandar took, Kiba was taking two to keep up.

Zandar didn't flinch, betraying the fact that the white wolf was getting on the cats nerves.

"It's not safe to make commotion here" he repeated what he said over and over and over to the over zealous pack.

"Just what the hell makes it so unsafe? It can't be any worse than the raptors or the freaken tyrannosaurs!" Tsume growled behind them.

"They are _ground _predators and are easily out maneuvered if you know what you're doing. But here……" Zandar snorted before continuing on.

"He just has to make this more dramatic than it is, doesn't he?" Blue sighed from the back of the group.

"It wouldn't kill him to tell us what we're watching out for." Hige agreed.

"Compared to what we've been through? Hmph, what's next?" Heart rolled her eyes, "Wild chickens the size of men?"

"Definitely a bird" Zandar commented, surprising them that he was listening in on them from so far up.

Heart shrunk back and decided she was done making fun of this guy. Even she knew when to quite picking on people- especially when said person was that much bigger than you.

The grass finally gave way to rock that slowly started to slope upward at the base before it became steeper as the mountain grew in height. It was daunting to look at, given the enormous size of the rock formation of the mountain in the middle of a generally flat area of rainforest- but it didn't seem impossible to climb….. Just very painful maybe….

Looking up at it Hige gulped as he could barely see the peak, "Why does this spell out 'not-a-good-idea'?"

"Because no one said it ever was a good idea in the first place" Zandar flicked his tail smartly.

"The Tree of Ages is really up there? On this rock?" Blue looked up intimidated.

"Rock?" Zandar looked back at them as if they were both crazy and stupid-heads, "This 'rock-formation' that you're looking at happens to be none other than the bases of the Tree of Ages it's self. This Mountain has no rocks on it- all it is are thousands of years of pushed up roots of the Tree of Ages twisting together so tightly that they are hard as rock."

"So the mountain IS the Tree?" Hige gawked.

Zandar nodded, "So long as you have claws and don't dig too deep into the bark, you should make the climb up the roots, however, to get to the tree it's self, you'll have to go through the cave to the heart of the roots in the middle of the mountain. The tree has made a protective shell for itself by growing its roots larger and strong and twisting them around its self so that it will act as a 'heart' to the living mountain. It feeds from the moonlight and sunlight that the roots absorb from reaching such high altitudes."

"Enough about the god damned tree- how do we get to the level the cave is at?" Kiba demanded nearly politely- at least he didn't snap out the force what he wanted to!

"That's the problem you see- something else has started to use the roots many caves as their homes- and they hate company." Zandar sighed.

"And just what could that be?" Tsume groaned, having had enough surprises.

"There are two major species we must look out for- one by air and one with in the roots themselves. By air come the pterodactyls- giant birds with no feathers but skin like the raptors and are about as big as two of you put together- and the other being the demon of the Tree of Ages." Zandar grimaced at the mention of the demon.

"There's an actual demon in here?" Hige took a step back from the roots of the mountain tree.

"That's just what we call it" a new voice came from the grass behind them. All but Zandar seemed surprised when two wolves appeared from the stalks of tall grass- a red she wolf and a cream colored male.

"Sarabi, Sabriel" Zandar bowed his head to the royal siblings of the wolf pack, "It's good to see you alive and well."

The wolves bowed their heads back, "Honor to see you once again Zandar, as always" Sabriel nodded.

"Not going to ask." Kiba groused grumpy with the hold up.

"That demon, the one Zandar was talking about- he's the opposite of what Zandar signifies and is the only thing that can stand up to our guardian and give him a good fight- Syris the anaconda snake." Sarabi explained.

"A…. snake you say?" Heart's heat thumped in fear. She had a -what you could say- 'snake-phobia' just like every one else had an irrational fear- hers were snakes.

'It just HAD to be an anaconda!' she thought.

"Waste not the time" Zandar leaped up onto the roots forming the mountain, "Follow my lead and don't wander from my path. Syris is a large serpent and he grows 5 feet every time he sheds, but he's a fast bastard that can sneak through any cracks in the roots."

"And how old is this guy?" Blue asked.

"Roughly 300 years old" Sabriel replied casually.

"Yeah, and still young" Sarabi snorted, "The demon before him was said to be the same serpent Lucifer the Devil used to get to Eve"

"300….?" Blue gulped.

"How often does his kind shed?" Tsume asked what the rest of them were thinking.

"Once every year" Zandar replied while they were climbing upward.

"So….multiply 300 by 5 and you get 1500 ft of snake….." Kiba summed up.

"That's one big ass anaconda!" Tsume's eyes widened.

"It's a monster of one! No wander they call it a demon" Heart agreed.

"Moral of the story" Sarabi joked, "Watch your feet and your back"

"Why would we do that?" Hige asked suspicious.

"Because, if Syris doesn't get you from below, the pterodactyls will get you from above." Sabriel taunted.

"Just why are you here again?" Heart growled at he she wolf, "You're not still after Kiba are you? Akira showed you who's the true red moon and you're still going after her like this?"

Sabriel pinned back her ears, "I'm not going after Akira like that…."

"Then why are you here?" Heart demanded.

"I….. well…." Sabriel snorted and turned her head away, not wanting to look at them.

"Bitch" Heart grumbled.

"Our pack and brother were massacred by the Tyrannosaurs and the Raptors" Sarabi offered, "We're the only survivors when know of. Terk didn't make it after the Tyrannosaurs showed up. The male got to him."

"The female got what ever the Raptors didn't get while they ran off in retreat soon as the two of them showed up. Sarabi and I manage to avoid them by getting across the river in time. Tyrannosaurs can swim like crocodiles, but they'd rather forgo it if they can." Sabriel chimed in.

"Sorry to hear that, now why are you following us again?" Heart asked coldly.

"There's something about Akira that made me want to help her some how. Now that I know she's the red moon, I want to make amends by seeing to it that she and the flower get to the Tree in time"

"And just how do you know she's the red moon? You were very stubborn in thinking other wise" Kiba challenged.

"Zandar wouldn't be helping you right now if he knew this Darcia person hadn't taken the true red moon. He would have greeted me as the red moon if I were it. Besides, if it's not me, it must be her- she's the only other red wol- well- … hybrid wolf" Sabriel remarked highly.

"She has a point," Zandar shrugged.

"H-hey…." Blue's voice quivered, catching everyone's attention, "What exactly d-did those bird things l-l-look like?" she was shivering in a disturbed way and her eyes were locked on something underneath the root she was standing on.

"Big and leathery skinned. Triangle head too with long beaks and a devilish tail. That's about the general idea of them" Zandar said nonchalantly as he pressed the group forward up the mountain of roots.

"They don't have any natural predators up here do they?"

"No, why?" Sarabi turned to look at the half-breed strangely- what was her problem anyways?

Blue gulped, "I uh… I think I found what used to be one…" she took a step away from a dismembered body of a dead pterodactyl that lay in the cracks of the roots, blood oozed from its body that was conjured in painful angles that just weren't meant to even look natural from a distance!

And it stunk too now that the wolves were focusing on it and not the scent of the flower heavy in the air here.

"Ugh, what's done this?" Sabriel snorted to try and get the smell out of her burning nostrils.

Zandar looked it over, unfazed by the gore, "Actually, this was _three_ pterodactyls…." He commented as nonchalant as always. His tail flicked left and right as the great cat bent over the roots to try and get a better look at the bodies oozing from underneath them, "A wolf has done this. Raptors never come this close to the Tree of Ages and Tyrannosaurs don't leave any trace of such small prey that they usually swallow whole. These birds were mauled by a wolf."

"What wolf would do this? And why??" Sabriel tilted her head, still a bit disgusted by the sight and smell.

Kiba and the others knew. The white wolf's rage at the mere hint of the bastard intensified enough for him to growl lowly, startling the others around him. He had had enough waiting around. Jerking his head to Sarabi's direction he barked out.

"Which cave leads to the tree inside?" he growled.

Sarabi had to resist an instinctual jump at the ordered growl, "The same cave the pterodactyls use as their main nest- the cave passage is just a small squeezed tunnel at the back of the pterodactyl nest….. I think"

"YOU THINK?" Kiba snapped.

"It's not like we're ever allowed to go there anyways!" Sarabi barked back in frustration.

"Will you two shut up already or do you just want us to all end up killed?" Zandar growled annoyed, "Syris will be here any moment just for the sake of the scent of blood and carnage these bodies are kicking up- and no one rushes into the main nest of pterodactyls unless you wanna die! There's too many of them too hold off and that's a lot of beating wings, snapping beaks full of teeth and razor sharp claws to dodge. If we make a ruckus now- there's no hope for us. If we get there before they're aware of us, we should be able to take them by surprise."

"Surprise?" Kiba lowered his head and dropped into a low crouch in his human form, "Got it! I'll give them a surprise!" he sprinted at a dead run up the mountain of roots.

"KIBA! ARE YOU NUTS?" Heart howled out.

"THIS IS NOT WHAT I MEANT WHEN I SAID TAKE THEM BY SURPRISE YOU MUTT!" Zandar called out in anger.

"Sorry Zandar, but Akira cant wait this long!" Kiba called back as he raced up the mountain for the large nook that curved at the middle to form the nesting caves mouth that led to the tree where Akira most likely was.

"YOU IDIOT!" Heart started to run after the white wolf now in wolf form, "KIBAAAAAHHH!" she was blocked by something suddenly ramming out of the roots, cutting her way from Kiba.

A gigantic serpent creature hissed out its forked tongue at her while black beady eyes zeroed in on the wolves around it. It coiled its large body from its hole it made from the inside of the tree and bore its fangs at them with a hiss of warning or challenge- no one could really tell at the moment!

"We can't help Kiba now! Not with Syris here" Zandar growled, "what are you wolves waiting for? Split up! Since the idiot barged in the nest, some of you fight off the birds while a few of you help Kiba get inside to the Tree of Ages!" he arched his back and took a swipe at Syris with his claws when the snake tried to strike at them like the cobra cousins of its blood. the anaconda hissed again with its forked tongue working over time, trying to take in a better heat reading of its opponent, "I'll handle the snake" Zandar bent low and charged Syris to distract him, "GO NOW!"

The wolves burst into action upon request. They dashed by the snakes snapping jaws as it strikes out at them, only to be pounced on by Zandar when the saber panther lunged at him and collided with the snakes neck just below the head. Zandar was able to pin Syris down for a moment while the others got out of harms way and up to the pterodactyl nest above when the great snake bucked him off and hissed.

The two opposing guardians sized each other up a moment as Syris reared back and arched his neck in a snake-like menacing way. His beady black eyes mocked the black saber-tooth with mirth as his long dark forked tongue reached out to lick the air between his scaly lips that curled into a cunning smile.

"And ssso returnssss the king of the jungle, lord Zandar hasss gracsssssed me with hissss presentssss" the snake hissed out as he swayed his upper body in a hypnotic way like his cobra brothers, "You sensssee it too, do you not? The ssssscent of the flower maiden?"

Zandar leapt at the swaying snack and clawed at him, but Syris wasn't finished yet. He swayed in his hypnotic way and avoided the cat's deadly claws calmly, "You wolvesss aren't the only onessss who have come to the Tree of Agessss by will of the red moon you know, kitty? There wassss another."

"Enough of this!" Zandar charged again and managed to sink his large fangs into the coils of Syris's side before the snake nimbly curled its powerful body around him in a constricting hold the breed was named for- the python. Zandar could feel the muscles flex tauntingly around his body as Syris took his suffocation slowly.

"Ssssso quick to die, Zandar." Syris chuckled, "You know asssss well asssss I that we were not meant for this prophecsssssy. Our purposssssse was to sssssssee that it issss carried out. Not to sssssee it with our own eyessss" the snake lowered his great head to be eye to eye with the great cat of the jungle. Gold bore into black as Syris tightened his coils around Zandar's weakening body.

"It is my duty to see that you are dead and that the new moon never gains will over that of the red nor the flower!" Zandar roared as he wrenched one powerful clawed paw free and struck out with his fangs…..

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"CRRAAAAAAAAAAWWWW!! CRRRAAAAAAAWWW!" Kiba ducked as another bird-like monster swooped down just above his back and smashed a small hole in the ground near him, intending for the hole to have been Kiba's broken body. The white wolf hadn't stopped since he reached the nests of the great birds. His golden eyes set on the largest hole that was the entrance to the cave above them- where Akira and Cheza was, where paradise was…. Where Darcia was! He had to get there and he had no time to stop to fight some reptilian like chickens that can fly!

He snarled as he leaped out of the way to dodge yet another assault of a massive peck of a large beak that could snap him in half should he allow it to get close enough, which by all means he didn't plan to! The bird cawed at him in a gravely bird-like tone as he reared up to avoid the small ledge of low root he ducked under. It was a small tunnel that gave him relief from attacking animals that flew about him angrily and opened up further up the roots of the wooded mountain, he hadn't been counting on the reptile things with wings to actually CRAWL AFTER HIM!

"KIBAAAH! JUST HANG ON!" Heart called as she and Tsume attacked the two pterodactyls that pursued him in the tunnel. The birds were very vulnerable on the ground with out the comfort of the sky to escape and inside the tunnel, they didn't stand a chance against the two seasoned warrior wolves that ripped into them from behind. Kiba didn't even stop to say thank you as he kept running upward.

"KIBA! WAIT UP!" Tsume called panting, but Kiba wouldn't listen. His heart and mind were set- get to Akira and Cheza and then kill Darcia!

"Kiba look I know you're worried and all," Heart called while they were just exiting the small tunnel, but she was unable to finish her sentence as they were bombarded with more fleets of giant scaly birds. Kiba still didn't slow down to fight, leaving Heart and Tsume in his wake to clean up what he dodged away from.

"They're starting to swarm us!" Tsume bit out as he shoved one of the birds off his back, "Where are Hige and the others?"

"I don't know!" Heart called back. She cut down one of the birds attacking her and saw Hige, Blue and the other wolves fighting the birds further down the mountain, "The birds have started to attack them as well! What should we do?"

Tsume helped fight off the pterodactyls from her way and then turned to her, "GO after Kiba! He'll need someone to cover him with Darcia on the loose. I'll keep these guys at bay here."

"Ts-Tsume! I can't just leave you here!" Heart protested.

The birds started crowding them again and Tsume was starting to loose his only chance at defending Heart's retreat as they started to close in from all directions.

"Heart, LISTEN!" he demanded, "Kiba needs you more than I do. Akira and Cheza need you with him!"

"I won't leave you here to die!"

"I'm not asking you to, because there's no way a few over grown chickens'll kill me, you got it?! Just go! I'll fight until the others can reach me and we'll fight our way back to you" he promised, shoving his way to get as close to her as possible and gave her a quick peck on the lips before patting her rear to shove her in the direction Kiba had sprinted off to with a smirk, "Now get going girl, and don't let me catch you dead once I get up there or I'll revive you somehow myself just so I can teach you not to leave me like that ever!" he threatened half heartedly.

Heart smiled but growled annoyed back at him, "Don't get used to ordering me around, boy!" she snorted, but bolted for the weakest part in the line of large scaly birds and made her way after Kiba's tracks, still far behind the frantic white wolf plowing through any and all obstacles to get to Akira and Cheza.

"Alright, you over grown poultry produce!" Tsume growled lowly, "BRING IT!"

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When Kiba got to the largest Nest in the middle of the mountain made of roots, he was surprised to smell the overwhelming scent of fresh blood in the air. Body parts of the strange creatures were strewn every where along the perimeter of the place and the blood stained the roots that made the cave inside. A chill ran up his spine at the disturbing gruesome sight as the red of the blood coated everything and his paws even splashed in the larger puddles of it on the floor. He slowed to a cautious walk, seeing as the pterodactyls certainly weren't going to attack him. What ever killed them off was probably still on the prowl.

"Is it the python that did this?" he thought aloud, but quickly rejected the idea. A snake wasn't the kind of hunter to make gruesome scenes with ripped up prey. It had no teeth nor claws to take on the job.

'A wolf' he thought as a chuckle alerted him.

"You've finally arrived oh white wolf of the silver moon." Kiba could only see glowing in the darkness two eyes- one human blue the other golden wolf- leering at him from with in the shadows. His hackles stood on end, "I was beginning to worry you would show"

Kiba stood bracingly with a snarl. His tail bristled up in the air and his ears pinned back in anger, "YOU!" he barked, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH AKIRA AND CHEZA? WHERE ARE THEY! HAVE YOU HURT THEM?" he demanded in quick, sharp barks.

"They are…. Resting for now. In the chamber of the tree of ages it's self." Darcia stepped out of the shadows, "But don't think I'll let you go just so easily as you came. There are a few rules from here on in."

"Rules?" Kiba spat out the word like poison.

"1-You have lost, pup since I'm claiming the heart of the red moon and 2- by my fangs you shall die on the stone of paradise and your blood will paint a new era of my paradise." The dark sable colored wolf grinned manically as he disappeared suddenly in the shadows, "Oh, and one more thing, little white lamb of wolves" the voice echoed, "Please do hurry, I've waited for you to especially arrive for when I pound your young latterly out of my mate and reclaim her as my own. I was looking forward to you being there as well"

Kiba tore a snarl from deep with in his chest as the black sable wolf disappeared into the darkness completely just as Heart came racing up to his side exhausted.

"Did you… did you find them?" she asked panting.

Kiba didn't answer her as he dashed ahead into the darkness, even his pale white fur being engulfed completely in the darkness just beyond where Darcia had disappeared to. Heart was left behind confused and angry.

"YOU STUPID ANNOYING IGNORANT PIG-HEADED PIECE OF LIVING SHIT!" she cursed, "DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT A SIMPLE EXPLINATION OF WHAT'S HAPPED IS?!" it was pointless to snap at an imaginary Kiba when the real one didn't even know she was angry and frustrated with his ignorance of her and Tsume's attempts to reach him. The real one had flown off to be the hero again…

"Looks like I'll have to follow him" Heart sighed, "God I hope you and Cheza are alright, Akira, please just hang in there a little longer" she pleaded as she bounded off after Kiba's trail into the darkness.

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There was music…. Such sweet music that drifted in the wind. It was a light sound of a flute playing calming lower notes on its high-pitched scale in a lullaby that had one longing to hear over and over again. Flowers tickled her sensitive nose until the breeze blew dandelion pollen around her too much and made her sneeze.

Akira slowly opened her eyes only to close them quickly due to the brightness of the sun. When she tried again, she was more careful to let her eyes adjust, and when they did, she sat up and gazed around her in awe- flowers. Rolling hills of flowers of all kinds. Cherry blossom trees dotted the land around her and there was a small pond near where she lay in her human form on her side that was shielded from the gaze of the sun rays by a towering ancient old willow tree. Not a cloud was in the sky but it wasn't blistering hot either.

"It's beautiful, isn't it" a gentle voice she recognized slightly startled Akira to a jolting twist as she turned to look over her shoulder. A young woman with long pale blond hair that tumbled over her shoulder and down her side where it was pulled over sat with her back leaning against the trunk of the willow. She wore a white robe one would think a goddess would wear that was flattering to the beauty of the stranger, but Akira wasn't one to trust as easily as she once had. Besides, this woman seemed familiar…. With the way her hair was pulled over her shoulder though, Akira couldn't see her face or eyes.

"Who are you? And what is this place? Why am I here anyways?" Akira asked cautiously, but was gaining her force and nerve with each question as her confidence boosted to determination…. But that determination quickly deflated as a thought rushed to the poor confused hybrid, "I…I'm not dead….am I?"

The woman laughed delightfully as it Akira had just said an amusing joke. There was no hint of cruel mockery in the melodious rolls though- just a friendly laugh, "No, dear wolf, you are not dead. Just in deep unconsciousness. I've been waiting for the time when you would fall into such a state just so I could talk to you before what is prophesied will come to be- I wanted to warn you, and so I brought you here with the small connection we have with the red moon"

"What about the red moon?" Akira demanded alarmed, "What's it got to do with you or me?" 

"You mean you still don't get it?" the woman seemed to tense, "Akira," Akira's eyes widened as the woman turned to face her, "You are the red wolf of the red moon- the heart of the red moon that is destined to decide the destiny of the new world paradise shall give birth to when Cheza is able to open it once more." Gentle lavender eyes smiled down at Akira as the former noble woman told the wolf the truth.

"Ja….Jagura…." Akira whispered in disbelief. Her breath started to come in small pants as she started to gasp for precious air in her anxiety induced state of mind. Her fear of this woman came back to her and all she wanted to do was run! To run as fast and as far away from the noble woman who tore apart her family and was set on stealing paradise from her kind. From the woman who had cut into deeper wounds of her soul than she'd care to admit….

"Fear not, little hybrid" the lady held up a flat hand for peace, "I am not my twin sister, Jagura. I am the younger twin- Homena" Homena reassured, "You have no need to fear me"

"Homena?" Akira still seemed unwilling to get any nearer to the woman than necessary, "Be that as it may, what ties to the red moon do you have?"

Homena's gentle expression fell in to dismay for a moment as she looked away from Akira and to the clear water of the pond beside them, "Long ago, the nobles opened another paradise. One that Darcia and I wanted to live in together with. We never wanted the duties of being a noble and so he used his grandfather's old paradise for ourselves as a way to escape it…. But something went wrong. I was able to sacrifice my soul to that paradise to send my beloved back, but now I can never go to the true paradise in heaven or be damned into the hells themselves ever. I can only watch from the darkness of the nothingness of this world as your world lives on and I have been watching over you Akira. I'm sorry for what Darcia has done to you."

Akira didn't reply and both of them just sat there a moment, unable to say anything to one another for various reasons in different degrees.

"But…. That is not why you're here." Homena finally sighed, "You're here because I have to tell you about the red moon. You destiny was to just open it, but now due to certain circumstances…. It's going to be a bit different."

"Different how" Akira asked, now looking the woman in the eye, giving her a small semblance of a truce.

Homena seemed thankful for Akira's small acceptance for now, "Because you've become pregnant with the full moon's children, usually that would be the sacrifice needed to open up paradise, but since the new moon is now the one in control of you and Cheza…. It will require something more"

"Something more? W-W-WAIT!! HOLD UP THERE!" Akira fisted her hands on her knees as her feet were now tucked under her, "I.AM.PREGNANT?? SINCE WHEN??"

"Since you and Kiba consummated your 'to-be-mating' in the false paradise in the desert. About a month ago if I'm not wrong" Homena said nonchalant.

"But that can't be!" Akira bristled suddenly feeling self-conscious and blushing madly. She couldn't look Homena in the eye any more since the woman was still smiling gently like an all knowing hippy god or something, "That shouldn't even count! It wasn't like we …. Did THAT in our physical forms- it was our spirits in another dimension! A limbo!"

"One that was very close to your own dimension and one that the fates saw to be carried out to your own bodies in your dimensions while you were in the other" if that's not confusing, Akira didn't know what was.

"So you're saying that while Kiba and I…. did that in the limbo, our bodies were doing the same thing in our world while we were unconscious? Like sleep walking??" that creped her out…

"Heavens no!" Homena laughed, "You do think of the strangest things" she giggled.

"I'm being serious here!" Akira blushed harder.

"My dear, while you do have pups in your womb as we speak, you're still a virgin in physique. Have you ever heard of the Christian 'Virgin Marry' who was the mother of Jesus Christ? A similar scenario happened for you." Homena explained with an ever present gentle smile on her face.

Akira was dumbstruck for a moment. The reality of it all was over bearing a bit for here and all she could do was stare blankly for the time being. Her hand slowly and unconsciously made its way to her abdomen that was still flat as ever, if not feeling a bit more sensitive as of late.

'I…. I'm pregnant….' The thought finally sunk in.

"Oh my god, I'm PREGNANT!" Akira gasped, "ACK! HOW'M I GOING TO TELL KIBA??"

"He knows" Homena chimed in.

"HE WHAT!" Akira's eyes darkened, "HE KNEW??"

"That is to say, he didn't know until after you were stolen from him. Zandar told him" Homena quickly explained.

"Who's Zandar?"

"Never mind him- the POINT is…" Homena took in a deep breath and let it out. This girl must be ADD or something. It was hard to stay on track with her…., "the point is that since Darcia has interfered and has drawn your blood, you'll need to make a sacrifice in order to open up paradise. And if you want it to be a paradise for Kiba and the free world… you must kill Darcia by the power of the red moon and then let paradise take you as well"

"S-Sacrifice my self?" Akira's breath rushed out of her again, "But what about the-,"

"I'm unable to tell you what your fate will be after that, or what will happen to your children or Kiba and the others. All I ask is that you have faith in paradise." Homena said softly, "It's not as cruel as you think"

"You just want me to kill myself after I kill Mr. Price of Darkness and Deranged- Darcia." Akira sighed.

"Again, you have a strange way of putting things sarcastically funny" Homena giggled.

"I've hung around Heart and Tsume waaaay too long." Akira sighed.

The sky started to turn black and the winds picked up. The flowers around them started to wither and die and the willow's green leaves shriveled up.

"What's going on?!" Akira demanded in alarm.

"Our time together is up. I can no longer keep your spirit away from destiny. It's time for you to return and fulfill what you must to open up paradise and free our new world from my beloved Darcia" Homena said sadly as Akira's vision of her started to fade, "Be strong Akira, I'll be watching over you and I'll help in what ever way I can…."

"HOMENA!" Akira called out in alarm as all went black and she felt cold. She couldn't move any longer, "HOMENAAAAAAAH!"


	36. Chapter 35 By the Blood of the Red Moon

Chapter 35 By the Blood of the RedMoon

A/N- HOLY FICUS! It's been too long!!

Alright in my defense- this time- all I can say is:

School sucks ass

Moving takes a long time to sell a house and actually nab a good one in time before it is also sold.

AND life comes at you fast? (haha had to use the line)

So yeah, the current moving update is- Colorado Springs, CO is going to be my new home. Probably around the Black Forest area (I'm actually really excited about that! It sounds so cool! "Yes I live in the Black Forest, you know the one that a German guy named after the famous one in Germany because it was the first forest he saw here in the Americas that reminded him of his 'home country'?" lol! I'm having waaaay too much fun with that!)

Also due to the move which is going to be taking place in October officially, The story is going to be rather sluggish in getting things updated (yep, already found that out didn't ya? Hey, I said I was sorry! … or at least I just did just now…? Please no tomatoes…. I don't like rotten fruit smell. Lol!)

Alright, enough with the blabber.

Special thanks to: Katlin (don't know if you're reading this but if you are you rock girl and sorry about the grammar errors, you know how I am &sigh&) Zanny, Shadow and Little Shadow (no I haven't forgotten you two!)

Acknowledgements-

Merlyn1382, Dhole, Shadow, Hellhound, WildKat, Alicia, Blackwidow, Savagecreature, Amber, tigerjaw, FangsofFury, Snowstar, Sabertooth, Aquamarine, bloodymary, RedFang, Venom, wolfsbane, Wildcreature, howling1, AngelOfVengeance, Snowstar, Dawn, Dusk, Hybrid, Quickstrike, Sweetooth, emilyruby, Solarwind, Siren, blackpanther, Emeraldragon, White Fang, freakingod, SilenceofDoom, lucky, Prettykitty67, HottyKat, gossipgirl, TheLeopardDemenNovelist, Furyguy, TwiLightzone, QueenofSpades, Carnage, stargirl, Shurtugal, Vixie, freddbing323….. (anyone else or anyone I missed?? No? alright then)

Chapter 35 By the Blood of the Red Moon

Kiba didn't know how long he pursued Darcia into the darkness of the tunnel, but he never stopped to ask. He only knew the way by the sound of Darcia's large paws padding against he ground as he raced ahead of the enraged white wolf, cackling with an eerie resounding echo in the tunnels walls. Kiba's muscles were starting to cramp and hurt, but he wouldn't slow down. The only change in speed he allowed was by all means to speed up faster and faster, knowing it was going to bring him that much closer to Akira.

'Please be safe…' he thought desperately.

Red light glared at him, at first as a speck like one would see signifying the end of the tunnel, and then it grew larger and brighter as he neared it. No dark shadow befell it to show that Darcia was still in front of him, and had Kiba been paying closer attention he'd realize that the padding of large paws in front of him were gone.

Kiba had to clench his eyes close when he crossed over to the red light's beams. He slid to a stop and his heart pounded at the sound of shifting rubble beneath his paws. When he was able to, he glanced down to see that he had just stopped short of a sheer cliff that plummeted far down and deep into the cave-like roots of the Tree of Ages. Small rocks and rubble from the path had fallen down the drop in front of him while he hadn't stopped a moment too late. Breathing a heavy breath, Kiba looked around for Darcia. The dark wolf lord was no where to be seen in the red light of the strange cave. Looking up, Kiba saw a gap in the cave. It opened up like a cone at the very top- the endings of the roots twisted into one another to make a braided-like mouth at the top. Half of the moon was visible in the gap, it hadn't yet reached its full peak yet, but instead of a cool silver moon Kiba was used to, his human blue eyes were graced with blood red moon light as the red moon shone down on him.

And Kiba then fully understood…

'_And when the earth cries out its last breath for death, the silver of the moon will bleed __**red**_' the prophesy had said….

"Light of the Red Moon…." Kiba whispered in awe, "Akira…." His nostrils flared in an instinctive snort and were filled with the scent of the flower from the updraft blowing up from below the cliff, "CHEZAHHH!" he called out, but only his own echo called back, "CHEZA!! WHERE ARE YOU CHEZA!"

"She will no longer come to your call white wolf of the full moon" Darcia's voice chuckled darkly in the shadows behind Kiba.

Kiba whirled around startled and snarled in his wolf form- changing as soon as he felt Darcia's sudden presence, "What have you done with her? Where is she?!" he demanded, bearing his fangs.

"Nothing as of yet" Darcia shrugged, "Why would I harm my precious flower?"

"She's not yours!"

"Nor is she yours either, for your heart belongs to another, doesn't it" Darcia taunted with a wolfish smirk as he all but slithered up to come nose to nose with the white wolf. In the nobles new form of a wolf he was nearly double the size of Kiba who was impressive in size himself. The two of them didn't give the other an inch as they stood nose to nose, daring the other to move first- a stand still held with tension thick enough to cut with a butter knife in the air around them. Darcia's smirk slowly morphed into a threatening snare when Kiba didn't back down.

"You will stay away from my mate you have defiled with _parasites_! She is no longer your concern and nor is the flower. I give you one last chance to leave before I must do something _brash_" he warned lowly.

Kiba's ears pinned back and his growl grew in volume as his anger rose, "I'm not going anywhere with out either of them" he vowed.

"You'll go to hell alone, then" Darcia's bear-sized paw raised up at lightning speed and struck Kiba down with a surprised yelp escaping Kiba.

The white wolf rolled out of the way as Darcia's jaws lined with fangs rammed the area where his neck used to be, "I'm going to enjoy every minute of tearing you apart" Darcia snarled.

"My thoughts exactly!" Kiba twisted away from the larger wolf and ducked low to attack Darcia's sensitive underside, but Darcia was ready. Nimbly, Darcia twisted until his fangs were able to grasp onto the back of Kiba's neck and he tossed the surprised white wolf to the cliff.

Kiba tumbled out of control as his body smacked into the ground nearing the edge. His claws dug into the thick wood underneath the debris of the floor to slow his momentum. He was halfway off the cliff when he was able to stop himself. Claw marks streaked his path where he had desperately clung to something to hold him from falling down to his death. His hind paws scrapped at the roots undersides to try and find some kind of traction so he could lift himself back to safety as he struggled to get back upright.

Darcia's paw lined with deadly knife-like claws dug into the white wolf's forearm as Kiba switched to human form to try and squirm up the cliff better. Kiba bit his tongue so he wouldn't cry out in pain as the knife-like claws dug into flesh- just short of breaking bones!

Blue eyes locked on to gold and blue eyes of the black wolf that held him in place on the cliff edge. Darcia leered down at the boy he held captive with a chuckle.

"Oh how cliché you truly are, Kiba" Darcia shook his head, "Dangling over a cliff toward your death? Really now, you're making this easy on me."

Kiba grimaced in pain, but kept his steady silent glare locked on the wolfs eyes above him, promising death should he get free of this predicament.

"Now, Akira will not see your death until you splat in your own puddle of blood when you impact in front of her down there" Darcia sighed, "I was hoping she'd see the great fight between us herself. Can you imagine it Kiba?" Darcia leaned forward until they were almost cheek to cheek as he whispered to Kiba's ear while Kiba stubbornly glared ahead, "Can you imagine her there, with her precious little belly full of your … grimlands, chained to the moon alter. Her blood trailing down her arms from cut palms for the blood sacrifice. Her red silk hair in disarray all around her as she struggles to reach you as you die. The hope dieing with you in her beautiful orange eyes…. can you see her, Kiba? Can you hear her scream as I leave you to die on your own slow pitiful death bed while I take her as my own and pound your cursed offspring from her capable body?"

Kiba was breathing harshly as his rage reached newer heights. Though he resisted falling prey to the evil man's taunts, he couldn't help but hear her screams of pain and terror for him. Smell her blood. Feel her pain. See her hope dieing in her eyes…..

"But now you'll never know will you Kiba? You're going to see her one last time as you fall to your death in front of her down there." Darcia sat up again, "Pity…" Kiba's grip on the wooden root cliff tightened as Darcia started to let go…

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Heart roared like an Amazon Woman rushing into battle.

The female black wolf barreled toward Darcia from behind and pounced on him like a panther taking down her prey. Her fangs fastening into his back as she rammed him to his side and off Kiba. Darcia twisted and turned to try and get her off him as she bit into his sensitive spots and avoided his futile attacks back. He just wasn't THAT limber to reach her and she was smaller, faster and much more flexible. More than capable to ride his back, bite into his spine, claw him where she could reach and wrestle him away from Kiba while the white wolf got up on the cliff once again- all with out Darcia even able to claw her back.

"HALF-BREED BITCH!!" Darcia roared as he twisted and rammed his back into the walls of the cave, earning a painful scream from Heart on his back and he felt her grip on him loosen, "Know your PLACE!" he flung her from his back as she sprawled to her side away from him. Her head ached from impact and sudden movement. She could tell something was broken somewhere, but every thing hurt currently so she didn't know exactly what was broken and what was just sore from the pounding she'd gotten from a semi-truck of a wolf that now prowled over her.

Kiba was almost on top of the cliff again when he saw Darcia hold down Heart. His own heart started to run cold, "NOOO!" though the distance was short, he wasn't able to reach them in time before Darcia's powerful fangs bit into the back of Heart's neck. He wasn't merciful in giving her a quick death with a break to the spine. He made sure to bite shallow enough that he only snagged the nerves that allowed her movement, but left a deep enough wound that she would bleed to death with in less than half an hour- a slow, painful death.

Heart cried out in pain as she fell limp, panting for air and glaring up at Darcia, but otherwise unable to move. She couldn't contain her painful whimper as the pain started to surge through her nerves that were severed. Her body twitched from lack of function.

"HEART!!" Kiba rushed toward her as Darcia leaped away, avoiding Kiba's half-hearted attack. The white wolf kept an eye on the dark wolf as he looked over Heart, "Hey, Heart, come on, hang in there, don't die on us yet- paradise is so close now! You can't die!" Kiba couldn't believe he was babbling, but he couldn't help it, "You still have to see Akira again! Don't you wanna see her?"

"She won't be seeing my Akira ever again. No half-breed ever will again." Darcia said darkly where he stood near the ledge, watching on with no intention to attack just yet, but he was proving to be a loose-cannon now a days.

"You know Akira's a hybrid as well… r-right" Heart could only muster a hissed whisper through her unmoving jaws. Thankfully, her voice box, lungs, heart, or any vital organs weren't affected, but she still couldn't move her limbs.

"She is so much more than you'll ever be" Darcia chuckled darkly, "The heart of the red moon shall open my paradise when the red moon is fully aligned above us and is able to reach its blood beams to the branches of the tree of ages its self at the heart of the root-cave." He turned to Kiba with a sly grin as he took a step back toward the dangerous ledge, "If you still want to defy me, see if you can get there in time. I'll eagerly await you." Darcia stepped back and free fell down toward the heart of the cave below.

Kiba rushed to the edge to look over and down where Darcia fell. The light of the red moons beams didn't reach the bottom yet. They were still pitch black, but some how, Kiba knew the bastard survived the fall. He would gladly heed the challenge. Soon as the others came and saw to Heart's wounds, he'd go.

As if reading Kiba's mind, Heart wheezed out his name, "Kibah…"

"Heart," Kiba turned to her and slowly approached her side, "Don't strain yourself. You need your strength."

Roars and caws from the beasts that they had encountered outside echoed the walls around them. Kiba turned to face the tunnel they had come in from and took a protective stance, ready to defend Heart.

"No…. Kibahh" Heart wheezed, "Don't waste another moment…. You, you must go…. Go to Cheza and….. to Akiraahh" she panted.

"I won't leave you. Akira wouldn't wish it of me if I left you here to die!" Kiba protested, not looking back as the sounds got closer.

"I'm already…. Half way…. There." Heart sighed, "Akira…. Needs you now….. go to her and…. Save yourselves." She panted.

Kiba turned to Heart, "But-,"

"GO!" she managed to bark out sternly.

"Heart…" Kiba looked torn as he looked her dead in the eye. It was as if she were willing him to go. As if she could force him to go with her eyes alone and he believed she could at the moment since his feet were already slowly making their way toward the cliff Darcia had used previously.

"Take care of her…. please Kiba…" Heart started to cry, "For me, Kiba…. Please watch over her for me…"

"With my life" he promised softly with a genuine smile and bowed his head respectfully in wolf form, "May you find your way to paradise in the after life."

He was sure Heart would have smiled if she could as she watched him leap over the edge after Darcia and disappear into the darkness.

'I better not find you there when I reach paradise and find out you died to get there. Otherwise, I'll resurrect you so you can save Akira before you die again and THEN kick your ass out of paradise and down to hell and back!' she threatened inwardly as her red eyes darted back to the mouth of the tunnel before her- something was approaching.

A pair of golden eyes belonging to a bloodied up, limping gray wolf stared at Heart in shock as he hobbled into the red light and his eyes adjusted to the sudden change of light. The scarred cross on his chest no longer was the only wound on him. He looked as if a Tyrannosaur had chewed him up and spat him back out with all the deep and shallow wounds he now sported from fighting the pterodactyls. But all that was meaningless when he saw Heart laying on her side unmoving and bleeding from her neck.

"HEART!" he called out in alarm as he doubled his efforts to hobble toward her. Heart could tell he had two broken legs that flopped around him- his left hind leg and front right. His remaining two weren't much worse for wear and his whole gray coat was covered in blood- both from his own wounds and from others blood. She was amazed he had made it this far and was sure he'd lost too much blood. She just knew he had a strong will power, but this took the cake.

He more or less fell to her side, nuzzling her with his nose as if to wake her, "HEART! SPEAK TO ME HEART!" he pleaded. Heart could see tears in his eyes, "No… you can't be dead, Heart, you just can't! I came all this way just to be at your side again! You can't be dead!" he was! He really was crying! Crying for her!

Heart released a sad whimper as she too started to cry, startling him, "H-Heart?"

"Tsume… you came back to me…." She whispered. It was getting harder to talk now, "I… I'm glad."

"Don't talk! Save your energy! You can make it Heart, just sit tight!" Tsume urged as he started to lick at the blood coating her neck, trying to gently clean her fur and find the wound at the same time so he could try and treat it.

"He… tore through the nerves…. In my neck…. I'll bleed to death, just like you …. Will soon enough…." Hearts soft voice replied, "Where are…. Hige and…. Blue?"

"NO we wont! We will not die! We will see paradise! I want you to go to paradise, even if it kills me to get you there, you're going to paradise!" he vowed, as he gently grabbed at her fur as if he were going to drag her the rest of the way- ignoring the question on the whereabouts of her sister and Hige. Her heart ached when she saw how much pain such a simple act caused him. It was because of this that she didn't press the issue of where Blue was or Hige….

"Tsume…. Please" she begged softly, "Don't…"

"You're going to paradise, Heart!" He insisted. Tears streaming down his face. She almost stared at him in awe. She'd never seen him cry like this, in such pained abandoned. He never cried, yet for her he did. He was shedding thousands of tears right in front of her with out trying to brush it off and be tough and manly about it…

"It's not worth it…" Heart insisted.

"You don't know what you're-,"

"It's not worth it Tsume" she raised her voice as much as she could with a bit more trouble than she thought it would be, "If… if you're not there with me…. Tsume…. It's not…. Not worth it…." She confessed.

Tsume stopped struggling to pull her away and stared down at her with amber tear glistened eyes, "You don't mean that…"

"I do… you idiot." She sighed with a roll of her eyes, "If you still want to ….. drag me off…. When I'm dieing…. Then please…." She pleaded with soft red eyes gazing as best she could up at him, "For my last wish…. Stay here with me….. Don't leave me to die alone…."

Tsume choked back the tears, "Heart…. I….I'll never leave you. Even in death…" he winced as he shifted to lay more fully against her in his wolf form.

"Hold me…. Tsume…. Will you …. Hold me?" her voice was getting more and more distant and breathy. She was fading from him….

Tsume carefully nuzzled her head over his front legs and laid his own head over hers as he spooned himself best he could against her. In human form, he would be holding her in his arms.

After a moment she sighed, "Blue…?" was all she was able to get out.

Tsume knew what she meant with out all the words. He held her tighter as if to prepare her, "She and Hige gave their life fighting the pterodactyls so I could get to you. I wouldn't be here now with out your little sister. She died with her mate thought…. She died to protect the ones she loved…"

"Alone….?" Heart breathed shallowly.

"Never was" he meant both of them and she grasped his duel meaning.

"….glad….love….youuuhhhh…" with that said, she sighed her last breath.

"Heart…. Heart?" she didn't answer him and she wasn't breathing, "H-Heart….no…" Tsume shuddered, "HEEEEAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRT!!" his howl of her name morphed into a painful howl as a wolf that lost his life mate as he cried out to the slowly rising red moon……

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"I know you're awake dearest Akira. Won't you open your eyes to me?" Darcia softly said close by.

Akira refused to open her eyes. She had slowly roused to wakefulness, but was at first too afraid to open her eyes. Her palms felt wet and warm with dull pain throbbing in their centers. She could tell she was chained and suspended much like Cheza usually is in the clutches of a noble like Jagura, Orchem and even Darcia himself. The very scent of him disgusted her. She didn't want to open her eyes to have to endure seeing him as well. He wasn't even the man Lady Homena had fallen for. He was the monster that engulfed the sorrowful soul of a broken man with greed and pride. A masochist, murderer, lair…. Sinner. Any and everything evil.

She felt a long graceful hand caress her jaw and lifted her chin up- she still held her eyes closed and relaxed. She would not give into him, "Dearest, I'll ask again. Will you not open your beautiful eyes for me?"

Akira held her ground.

"It seems I need to make a point to you then… you never did take the easy way out did you, my little lovely mate?" he seemed amused for some dark reason, but it was the darkness in the undertone of his voice that gave her any warning she would later understand to heed more closely.

Pain bit into her palms sharply. First one was cut into- what ever cursed blade that had impaled her flesh dug in and then twisted lightly to stay clear of the fragile bones of her hand. Darcia held a deceptive light smile that quirked a bit more at her pained screams. He watched the blood stream from her newly re-wounded palms down her arms held above head level in a Y-bend above her and chained to the branches of the tree of ages its self. His eyes trailed with the blood down her arms to her shoulders and stained the white virgin's robe he had dressed her in that was nearly see-through. She looked like an offering to the pagan gods of the ancient religions- Zeus or Hades there were so many.

And righteously it so described her- a sacrifice. A virgin sacrifice that had never been physically touched so intimately by a man in body, but in spirit she was gifted with that bastards pups….

But at last, his roaming eyes that had trailed over her from the blood at her palms down her body and back up to her face, he saw her pained orange eyes open wide with fear, anger, pain, shock, hatred, there were so many emotions that he wandered if she were aware of just how many she was showing freely in her expressive rare-colored gems of eyes. The color of a late summer sun- orange. Golden-orange.

"There they are." He said softly as he leaned in close to her. His hand still holding her chin so she couldn't pull away like she was trying to. In his other hand, the bloody silver plated knife dripped with her blood….

"Get away from me!" she hissed at him. He could tell she was so afraid of him, but she was also trying her damnedest to fool him otherwise- how cute.

"Don't be afraid to fear me" he cooed to her, "Let all your fear of me out now. Soon enough, you'll beg for it even with the fear of me"

"I said GET AWAY FROM ME!" she demanded, jerking out of his grasp and struggling with in her binds to get away, "DON'T TOUCH ME!" her stomach felt ill, "You make me SICK!"

"You ask the impossible of me, little one. For who is so strong that he cannot touch his own mate?"

"You and I are no such thing! I.LOVE.KIBA!" she bravely declared. He admired the way she forced her fear aside enough that not a trace of it showed as she glared at him levelly with her determination set in her orange eyes, "Not you!"

"I don't require your love." He said contradictive, "All I require is you"

"Which you shall not have!"

"Which I WILL have" he countered.

"I'll kill you before you had the chance!" Akira spat like a venomous snake.

Suddenly, he held the back of her head and brought her close. Too close. Their noses were brushing and he made sure that their bodies were flushed together as well as they could with her in her binds as she was. His body was pressing her into the bark on the trunk of the tree behind her. Her stomach was doing a boiling for a good sickness- a puke session was coming on to her and she wanted to let it loose on him, but not just yet. She couldn't afford the weak-spell that came after emptying her stomach.

"Do you really believe you can kill me? Do you?" he said softly. His soft hot breath puffed against her lips that were a hairs length away from her own tightly closed ones. Her nostrils flared in anger as she started to breath heavier to calm her stirring stomach.

"I.Will." she stated with out fear.

They stared at one another for a long while. Darcia's hand that held the knife slowly lifted up. It looked as though he were going to stab her again. She didn't flinch as she darted her eyes rapidly from his own eyes that watched her unblinkingly and unemotionally to the slowly rising blood-stained and still dripping silver knife poised to stab her again.

She couldn't hold back the flinch when the knife swung down at her. She expected to feel its harsh piercing bite at any moment, but only felt the wind wake of it passing her head. Her arms suddenly went slack and she fell into his waiting arms off balance. She shoved away from him and fell on her rear, glaring up at him and panting for air as she let out the breath she forgot she was holding in. he tossed the knife to her, knowing she'd instinctively catch it.

"Then by all means little one" he stood back and held out his arms invitingly, "Kill me"

Akira's eyes widened, and then narrowed in fury. This was her chance! She stood up, the knife clutched in tight hands as if it were her life line to keep her sanity in the madness her mind had become with thoughts of taking lives and deaths and red moons and nonsense she once never even heard of or had anything to do with. Her heart pounded in her ears as she stood there, knife held as if it were a sword in both hands and feet braced apart.

"What's wrong Akira?" Darcia taunted, "Go on. Do it." He walked toward her slowly- startling her.

"St-Stay BACK!" she demanded, taking one step back, but he was upon her, "BACK! OR I SWEAR I'LL CUT YOU!"

"Do it then!" he demanded, taking hold of her shaking wrists holding onto the knife and making her knuckles white with how hard she clutched on to it. He brought it closer to himself until the sharp point of the knife marred in her own dripping blood that now oozed from her palms as well and onto the handle now. He held the point to his chest and drew back his shirts so it touched soft skin and slowly let go of her wrists, "Cut into me Akira. KILL ME!" he shouted at her, startling her to jolt in surprise.

Why couldn't she do it? Why couldn't she kill him! Homena had told her she must do it to open up the true paradise, and she knew he deserved to die! Why couldn't she kill him? What was holding her back from driving the bloodied knife into his chest and twisting it in his wound just like he had done to her forever scarred hands? Why!

Akira started to cry in her effort. It was silent- no sobs wrecking through her, just her body shivering in pent up tension and effort. Her brows knotted and the tears flowed out of her like rivers down her cheeks and dripping off her chin.

She couldn't do it….

She didn't know why.

She wanted to do it, oh yes. How she wanted to drive this knife into this man in front of her, but her heart was unable to bare it. She couldn't take another persons life, not with knowing how much Darcia meant to Homena…. Never mind the two could never be together… it still hurt….

'There has to be another way….' She quivered, "I .. I…." she gulped.

Darcia placed a calm hand on her own that held the knife. She jerked away from his touch, throwing the knife aside with such force, it embedded into the tree of Ages' trunk with a 'THUD!'

"I SAID DON'T TOUCH ME!" she cried out, backing away from him until she bumped into the tree herself and slid down it weakly, sobbing now, "I cant do it…. I just…. I can't…."

"Such weakness you openly display. Such pure mercy that so many have taken advantage of. Is that why _he_ fell for you? Your innocents?" Darcia's voice was deceptively soft, "I knew it…. You're just as weak, no WEAKER than your brother, Jasper."

Akira jumped in fear as his fist slammed into the bark of the tree above her head and grasped a hold of the knife, twisting it out of its embedded place in the wood. He brought it up to his chest and cut shallowly into it, letting her blood mix with his, "Now I really am the Red Moon's chosen. You're blood is now marred with mine."

'This is it…' Akira thought in fear, 'What Homena was warning me about….. Now I really do have to kill him so Kiba can open up the real paradise…'

Her heart sped up a few beats and kicked into the gear at the thought. She doubted she'd be able to do it… can she really kill someone? Even if it was Darcia?

He bent low over her, trapping her between himself and the tree of Ages behind her, "You have no where else to run, little one"

Akira morphed to her wolf form and darted out from under him with her smaller size. She quickly turned around so her back wasn't to him- she didn't trust him at all. She backed away from him with her ears pinned back, tail half raised cautiously and a half-snarl showed a hint of fangs. She was unsure if she had a slight chance at him in a fight. She wasn't even sure she'd be much more than a fly to him.

"Back to this game, huh?" Darcia looked over his shoulder and chuckled when she didn't answer as he stood up and faced her, morphing to his wolf form at the same time, "Have it your way then…" he bent low to pounce at any moment and stalked forward toward her as she moved away.

Akira backed far enough away that she could see the whole tree behind Darcia. Her orange eyes spied Cheza laying weakly on her side, not moving. There was a green liquid that stained the back of her clothing that made Akira's heart skip a beat. She stopped backing away and full out snarled at Darcia, nothing was being held back any longer.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO CHEZA?!" she demanded with fire.

"So there's the huntress in the little timid one" he remarked, "Cheza has been what you could say detained until the moon beams reach their peak down here and the ceremony to open paradise arises. Even now, with her blood being spilt ever so lightly like your own, she's starting to bloom…"

"Bloom?" Akira's breath caught as she was distracted away from the prowling male to the prone Cheza at the tree's base, "Cheza?"

It was the opening he was waiting for. Darcia pounced powerfully toward her, pinning her under him, "Very messy for you little mate. You leave so many delicious openings!" he groaned as he bit lightly into her neck to still her struggles. Akira stilled her upper body, but her hind legs kicked out at him rapidly as if she were running in a sprint. Her sharp claws bit into his sensitive gentile area.

"RRRAAAAAH!!" he cried out in surprise, letting go of his hold on her neck.

Akira knew what to do next- just like that wolf before in the Dead Forest! She twisted to her four paws and slammed her back into his stomach to throw him off balance a bit. She then made to dart away, but yelped in pain as Darcia's fangs found purchase in the scruff of her neck and tugged her under him again. He was so large that with her under him, he barely had to stand on his toes as he stood over her in the dominating position. Her body instinctive froze from the hold on her neck but she firmly held her thick tail between her legs, blocking him from his ultimate goal.

"Remove your tail" he demanded with an insistent growl.

She hissed cat-like back at him in insult and he dug his fangs deeper into her.

"REMOVE IT!"

"AKIRAAAAAH!" Darcia didn't even see Kiba as a streak of white lightning shot through the darkness and tackled Darcia, throwing the large wolf off balance slightly, but Darcia still held his position over Akira.

"KIBA!" Akira cried out in relief.

"LET.HER.GO!" he snarled clawing and biting viscously at Darcia's back.

Darcia bucked, snapping and snarling as he tried to swing his claws at his back to throw off Kiba and still stay over Akira. Kiba's sharp fangs were able to dig pass the thick coat of fur and bit into Darcia's spine, releasing a pained wail from the wolf. Darcia threw back his head, releasing Akira as he reared on his hind paws like a stallion. Akira didn't waste any time escaping from under him, tail still tucked between her legs. She skidded sideways and looked back as she got only half way from the fighting wolves to Cheza.

"Kiba?" she questioned.

"GET.CHEZA.OUTTA.HERE!" he demanded even as Darcia threw him off his back enraged. Kiba skidded on his side a long ways from Darcia while the dark wolf turned his attention back to Akira. He bunched his muscles to charge at her fearful person, but Kiba was upon him again in a fury of claws teeth and white fur. The white wolf showed no mercy as he mauled Darcia as much as he could while the larger wolf fought back just as viciously.

"KIBA!!" Akira cried out.

"A…Ah….Akirahh?" Cheza called softly, "This one can't… can't sense you any more….are you there Akira?" Cheza's breathy voice called out.

Akira looked over her shoulder to see Cheza trying to get up and back to the two wolves that impersonated the Yin and Yang perfectly. She was torn at the decision of who to go to- Cheza or Kiba.

"Akira…"

Akira couldn't stop herself from hurrying to Cheza's side. She reverted to a human, ignoring the sounds of snarling wolves and the smell of new blood being shed. Cheza was trembling as Akira gathered the scared flower up in her arms and held her closely. Cheza jumped in surprise when she was hugged- she truly couldn't sense Akira anymore…. But why?

"It's me. Akira" Akira reassured Cheza, automatically relaxing the flower. But then, Cheza tensed again.

"You're hurt?"

Akira winced as if on cue, her pain from her wounds smarted at her, "It's nothing, Cheza-,"

"Too much blood to be nothing" Cheza shook her head and felt down Akira's shoulder and arm until she held on to Akira's wrist, touching her wounded palm with her other hand lightly, "This one will heal you…" Cheza relaxed again while Akira let her do what she felt she needed, but when Cheza started to furrow her brow and breathe hard, she became alarmed.

"What is it?"

"This one…. Cannot feel her power….. She cannot heal you. This one cannot even sense you or anyone else. As if all of you were dead…. AAAAAH!" Cheza gasped as if she were in pain and covered her nose and mouth, "But she can still sense pain…. So much pain… and …. And blood…. Kiba's blood…. Akira's blood….."

"_**HEEEEAAAAAARRRRRRRT!!**_" a howl echoed off the walls that fell on deaf ears of Kiba and Darcia who danced around one another, snapping and snarling at one another- colliding together in a fury of fangs only to break apart with a few wounds to one another and start it over again. Akira and Cheza heard the cry loud and clear and it made Akira's heart weep harder.

"That was…. Tsume…" Akira held Cheza tighter as the flower whispered out Tsumes name.

"Yes, Cheza…. It was him" Akira nodded, "It must be… it must be Heart…"

"Heart has died…. This one can sense his death coming to him as well. She can sense him, but not you or Kiba…. This one is so afraid…."

Akira sobbed as she tried to hold back the tears. Holding Cheza tightly to her so she could some how block out the vicious battle going on between the two wolves close by and give Cheza some semblance of feeble peace. She turned her head away, not wanting to see Kiba torn down like he was.

The scent of his blood, the sound of his pain…. It called to something burning deep inside her. Something that made her head ache and heart burn with heat that rushed in her blood making her body flush with heat and her breath pant out of her. Her ears rang loudly, drowning out all else noise- even Cheza's voice right there with her.

The moon above them was almost completely beaming down upon them now. Its red beams lightly touched Akira's crown and slowly illuminated her red hair and face. When the light passed her eyes, something slipped away. At any moment she would snap and she was afraid of just what that snap would lead to. It terrified her so much that she dared not even to breathe for a moment.

Kiba was tossed carelessly by a bloodied and battered Darcia near Akira and Cheza. His body slammed against the trunk of the Tree of Ages and fell limply to the ground before it. Cheza called out his name, but he didn't answer. Blood splattered along the bark and specks of it hit Akira-

That's when it snapped. The light of the red moon fully engulfed her body, casting its moonlight on her like a celestial angel of the devil. All her inhibitions were taken away in that moment and she breathed easy. Almost too calmly for the occasion, but her sudden calm composure seemed to ease Cheza even so slightly as Darcia approached them madly.

"The full moon has fallen to the New Moon. Akira, now do you see? The moon is upon us. Now is the time to take our future" Darcia panted in his wolf form with a maddened smile on his wolfish features.

Her human hand darted out quickly and grasped the wolf tightly around the throat- choking him, but only just lightly of endangering his life. Her fast reaction to him surprised him to say the least and he gave a started yelp that was choked off by her hold on his throat.

"You're right. It is time to take my future" her voice was even with its melodious tone holding a dark note in it that never was there before. She opened her eyes, they were neon red and glowing brightly. Her hair waved lightly in an unnatural, non-existent wind as a powerful red aura became visible around her to the naked eye, giving her a red glow in the already glowing red moonlight.

"I will take your life and open up paradise. You are not worthy of it if you are this weak, Darcia!" she tossed him by the neck away from her and Cheza and then stood in her glowing wolf form, eyes still that haunting neon red, "If you want to take it by force, I have a few spare minutes until the moon fully arises and is gone from the circle above. If you can defeat me, I'll unleash your paradise. If not, I'll take your life" it didn't even sound like her!

Did Darcia care? No.

He stood again with a maniacal look on his face, "Then come to me huntress and let us dance in the moon light"

"I'LL SPILL YOUR BLOOD!" she roared dashing after him.


	37. Chapter 36 Cursed Moon, Salvations Sun

A/N- Three weeks ago, I traveled from Oklahoma to the state of Colorado…. The moist plains vs. the dry mountains. It was a big change, but I think I've finally gotten a handle of it. I still have three very important things I miss back in the plains though… my father, and my two quarter horses (my babies!) lol- no my parents aren't divorced, dad's just a handyman that had to stay behind to fix up the old house to sell and the horses don't have a trailer yet to get up here. It shouldn't be too much longer (hopes and prays)

So yeah, I'm sorry it took so long, but that kind of change after staying in the same place for eighteen years gets to ya, and I even lost my ability to write for a while since I was so stressed, but I'm back! And I've even got the last chapters of this baby going good! (still have to work out the major kinks in it though…. As far as plot-wise. You guys know I suck at grammatical errors (whimper))

Special thanks to- ZannydeLeopardDemonNovelist, Shadow, Little Shadow, and My good friend Kateline (I hope I spelled ur name right…)

Acknowledgements- coldfire, Anon, rayne156, FangsofFury, Sabertooth, Siren, alvinfreak676, QueenofSpades, blackpanther, Quickstrike, wolfsbane, Shurtugal, emilyruby, SilenceofDoom, Furyguy, stargirl, Vixie, lucky, Hybrid, tigerjaw, WildKat, Aquamarine, gossipgirl, freakingod, AngleOfVengence, HottyKat, Hellhound, sweetooth, bloodymary, freddbing323, Prettykitty67, Dhole, TheLeopardDemenNovelist, White Fang, howling1, TwiLightzone, Venom, Emeraldragon, Amber, merlyn1382, Carnage, Blackwidow, Wildcreature, Dawn, Dusk, Savagecreature, fannyone325, RedFang, Shadow & Little Shadow, Snowstar, EternalOctoberNight…………… Please say that I got all of you? If not, my bad!

Disclaimer- (have I done this for the other chapters??? Eek!) I don't own Wolfs Rain characters or basic plot line, but I do own my personal twists and characters *grins)

Read and review plz! I love to read reviews! They are truly fuel to the story!

Chapter 36 Cursed Moon, Salvation Sun

"Ah-Akira…." Kiba struggled to stay conscious. His whole body ached and strained with pain from his injuries with the much larger wolf- his downy white fur was smeared in the red blood of his enemy and his very own. But he couldn't give up yet….

His waning eyesight was able to see blurry versions of Cheza, Akira and Darcia- Akira was in human form, standing tall before Cheza protectively her hand still outstretched from when she'd rushed at Darcia and made to punch him, yet the black wolf had darted back and out of the line of her blow just in time to avoid her. The young females' body glowed a bright red light. Her wild red hair was dancing softly in an unreal wind from an unknown force, her eyes illuminated hauntingly- this wasn't the Akira he knew.

Cheza also seemed to notice the change in Akira, the flower maiden obediently stayed where she was behind Akira, yet she didn't seem afraid of the change. Even when uncertain if the girl was possessed, Cheza had faith in Akira to never harm her. Kiba could tell the flower maiden was in some sort of pain though, she was hunched over and her pale skin was translucent- the veins underneath were dark and his ears could hear a subtle shift in her bones.

The only one who didn't seem to notice or probably even care for the change was Darcia- he still looked upon Akira's vision with a hungry lust that boiled Kiba's possessive blood instinct. Injuries be damned- he felt his second wind calling him so long as the bastard was ogling her like that.

Darcia looked up to the red moon above, not at all put off that she'd just rushed at him brazenly to attack, and then followed the beams languidly down to where the ethereal Akira stood bracingly. She hadn't moved since she'd grabbed at his throat and tossed him away from her. He sensed that though she had proclaimed to kill him, she'd bid her time till he made the first move- she was getting better at combat…

"Little one, do you really want to take this the hard way?" Darcia cooed as he paced predatorily in front of her, his eyes never straying from her own as she stared defiantly straight ahead.

"I. Will. Kill. You" she stated deathly calm.

"And how do you presume to do that?" Darcia stood for a moment and cocked his head antagonistically, "To kill you must attack and all you seem to be doing is glare at me unmoving- I'm sorry but looks cant kill" he snickered.

Akira didn't seem affected. She just stared coldly straight ahead. In fact, no emotion other than anger and defiance seemed to show on her face. He was sure he'd seen sympathy in those orange eyes of hers before. Who was he fighting now?

"Fool" she whispered as her body changed into her wolf form. The small red wolf was faster and lower to the ground then Darcia recalled. Her lithe body more in-tune to that of a huntress than the sniveling emotional pup she'd been before. She knew exactly what she was capable of now and she used her size to her advantage over his much larger stature.

Suddenly, she was upon him, baring fangs and claws on him with rapid succession. Her small needle claws dug into his sensitive under belly and sides while she twisted her neck upward to sink her fangs into his spine unforgiving.

Darcia cried out in surprise, he arched back and away from the pain, shoving his whole body at her to try and shake her, but she wouldn't be trifled with. The small she-wolf released him for half a second before she assaulted again at a different angle, retreating yet again before he could swipe at her only to attack yet again from another angle.

Where did she learn to fight like this?

Darcia, by a stroke of luck it seemed, caught her off guard, shoving her to her side when she dodged from his side to avoid his counter attacking claws. She had moved to the front of him, intent on going for his sensitive chest cavity when he seized her- he plowed his body right over her, not give her a chance. Her much smaller size didn't allow her to counter with such a heavy weight shoved upon her. She rolled at the last second to save her self from having him pin her on her back, instead, he got her side but that was all he needed as he let his fangs rest near her throat right under her pointed ear- she instinctively didn't move.

"That was a big surprise you were holding back little one" Darcia panted, "I was hoping you'd put up a fight, but this is more I like it"

He had expected her to reply with some witty comeback, but all he got was silence. She didn't even look at him or raise her head to him. She just lay under him unmoving with her eyes focused straight ahead in a zombie-like state.

Was this the power of the red moon at work? Was she possessed?

"You're not even in control of yourself, are you" he said. When he got no answer he chuckled darkly, "So this is the true meaning of the red moon's curse- you become its mindless median- a slave to the greater powers. Want me to undo this curse? Do you want your body back Akira?" he let his muzzle drag up her neck to her ear and whispered, "I can release you if you'll pledge yourself to me and open my paradise."

"DON'T!" Kiba snapped, "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER, DARCIA!" the white wolf shook as he stood on four legs, staggering towards them with determination in his golden eyes.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Darcia barked back at him mockingly, "You're barely conscious yourself and can't hardly walk!"

"Akira!" Kiba called out, "Don't listen to him!" 

'_Akira……'_

Akira's glowing eyes started to darken in the middle where her pupils should be, 'That's my name…. He's calling my name…'

Kiba stumbled forward as his front leg gave out underneath him, Darcia howled in laughter as the white wolf struggled and failed to stand again, Akira's eyes darkened slightly more. Her eyes were able to focus as she looked up at Darcia from the corner of her eye and back to Kiba who struggled to stand again to get to her.

'He's hurt?' her heart skipped a beat and her pulse started to race, 'Why? What's going on? Why can't I move?'

'_Trust me'_

'Trust? Who?'

'_Kill him. Kill Darcia!'_

Her eyes snapped open wide once again as she shot into action, twisting upward and hooking her fangs into Darcia's throat, choking off his barking laughter at Kiba. She shoved upward to knock him backwards but was unable to knock him completely off his paws. The black wolf swiped at her with his large heavy paws to knock her off of his throat, gasping for air when he dislodged her.

"Bitch…" he coughed. The deep wound to his throat was just shy of fatal depth.

Akira growled back, standing between him and Kiba, "I'll take back paradise from you."

"You'll have to kill me and yourself first" he surged forward to charge her.

Akira wasn't able to think fast enough to dodge him from such close range. She took his barreling charge full force as he slammed into her and wrestled the smaller wolf to the ground. She fought back in earnest, kicking and biting at him as he held her down and dove for her neck again and again.

Darcia suddenly reared back and yowled in surprised pain, scurrying off Akira in haste. Akira rolled to her feet and looked surprised when she saw a wound bleeding from his privates. She didn't remember putting that there…

"That'll teach you" Kiba growled at her side as he wobbled to stand protectively over her facing Darcia with a snarl as the dark wolf whirled murderously on them, biting back a whimper of pain as he was nearly neutered.

Akira's eyes darkened again as she felt the haze of red in her vision start to clear again, "You bit him?"

Kiba grinned down at her wolfishly in answer, but winced when his wounds smarted at him again, "Damn it" he cursed under his breath.

"Ch-Cheza??" Akira noticed Cheza convulsing on the ground behind Kiba's back.

Kiba looked over his shoulder and stared in horror as the flower suddenly went still, she was whimpering quietly in pain as her tears streaked down each cheek.

"CHEZA!" he started to go to her unstably when Darcia cut him off, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and tossing him back. Akira's vision started to redden again.

"This is the moment I've been waiting for, you'll not destroy it by touching her" Darcia darkly hissed.

"Stop hurting her!" Kiba demanded.

"I'm doing nothing- she's just starting to bloom. Soon as she does, she'll wither and die soon as her duty to open up paradise is over."

"No!" Kiba defiantly stood, growling. Darcia could tell that the white wolf couldn't so much as walk and therefore saw no real threat coming from him, but the way Akira was so devotedly watching him burned at him.

"You tire me with your impertinence." He casually walked up to the white wolf just as Kiba stumbled once more and held down male with his paw to the white throat, baring it unwillingly, "Die!"

"NOOOOOO!" Akira screamed.

"It's here" Cheza's soft voice so full of pain shocked them all to a standstill just before Darcia's white and bloodstained fangs ripped into Kiba's throat. The dark wolf pulled away and looked over at Cheza coolly while holding down the panting Kiba.

Cheza was sitting on her knees now. Her dark blood veins under her insipid transparent skin seemed to grow out of her like the roots of a plant and took root deep with in the snow under her. She cried out in short yelps of pain as her bones snapped into shape and her body grew out of proportion. Her ruby eyes glowed brighter and brighter.

"She's blooming" Darcia grinned wolfishly, "Paradise is receiving her bloods' call. It's happening! With in her is the very seed of paradise!" he took a step toward her, but Kiba locked his sharp fangs weakly around Darcia's ankle in an attempt to stop him.

"Don't….. Don't you dare…… t-touch her…." he growled through the weakness and pain.

"Enough!" Darcia shook Kiba off and kicked him away.

Kiba's limp body rolled in the snow, dragging a trail of his own blood across the white ground until he slid to a stop at Akira's front paws a few feet away from Darcia. The black wolf completely ignored her as he set his insane sights on the flower taking root.

Akira was too afraid to move. Whatever had taken over to fight Darcia off was coming and going from her in waves. When under its influence, she couldn't control her body and she heard cruel, gruesome thoughts of revenge when it over took her mind- that is what she feared. Whatever it was, she feared its violent thoughts and how it used her body to act on them. She could barely hold it back from killing Darcia, she just couldn't do that to Homena. She had to somehow save Darcia! For Homena's love, she had to bring him out of the darkness.

But as she looked down at Kiba's struggling form as the white, bloodied and beaten wolf tried to stand again to defend Cheza, she couldn't hold it back. A heat wave of anger and vengeance tidal waved through her blood as her mind was overtaken again and she was shoved in the passenger seat once more while her eyes flashed red. The fur along her back stood on end as she snarled and bolted forward, dashing after Darcia.

Darcia stalked up to Cheza's vulnerable body as he started to grow, he knew her roots were deep enough to lay the seed of paradise. He dug his fangs into her side and yanked her unceremoniously away from the ground, snapping her roots away from her as she cried out in pain. Her green blood dripping down his mouth as he tossed her away, panting with excitement.

Cheza didn't even cry out as Akira leapt in the air from behind Darcia and caught her with her own teeth gripping onto what little clothes the flower maiden still had on her person to save her from the brunt of the fall. The red wolf tried to land as gently as possible with the scruff of Cheza's collar between her teeth like a pup being carried by its mother. Akira set her down with care and nuzzled her before turning glowering red eyes upon the dark wolf that stumbled after the trail of green blood Cheza had left. He started digging when he came to where Cheza had taken root in, searching for the seed of paradise.

Darcia could feel the seed in the snow some how and was slap-happy as he dug away, getting closer and closer to his dream. His paw tucked another pile of snow out of his way as his eye caught something dark with in the white- the seed. He grinned greedily and was about to lean down and claim it when a red paw stepped in his line of vision. Instinctively he looked up from his hole to look into glowing red eyes that smirked down at him.

"Remember me?" Akira's husky-possessed voice snarled as she barreled forward to throw him off balance.

She shoved him down and clawed at his chest, as if she could rip him open. He yelped in surprise as she tackled him and screamed in pain as she dug her sharp claws into tender flesh on his underbelly and chest. With an angered snarl he shoved her off, practically foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog as he snarled at her. Akira refused to give much ground as she merely stood a few feet in front of him and well with in his range of attack- she was taunting him.

"Stay the fuck out of my way bitch! This no longer concerns you!" he snarled.

"That's not what you were saying only moments ago" she taunted as she paced back and forth in front of him like a calculating predator behind bars, waiting for her keeper to let her loose so she'd wreck destruction on her sought prey.

"That was before the seed of paradise presented itself. Paradise will heed my command since I have your blood in my veins now!"

"Think again!" she shot forward and he braced for impact, but she faked him out at the last minute, dodging to his back before whirling around to attack from behind. He was familiar with the maneuver, however and twisted around so that her face met with his fangs and claws as they collided. They wrestled around, biting and clawing at one another brutally, ignoring the growing numbers and severity of their own wounds. He rolled on top yet again and shoved his full weight down on her to crush her, slamming her face under him as she was at an awkward angle under him. She flailed and wiggled to get free, but he was too heavy. Growling, Akira opened her mouth wide and waited to feel the fur of his belly fill the space between her fangs as he pressed down before snapping her jaws closed, feeling the snap of one of his ribs and hearing his scream as he twisted away from her howling in his agony when she refused to let up her hold on his abdomen.

With a vicious snarl, he bit into her thigh bone, snapping it in half as well! Akira cried out and let go of him. He grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and tossed her away from him, standing there to pant for breath a moment. Akira whimpered and cried out as she slammed back into the ground and slid to a slow, agonizing stop. Her body begged her not to move, but whatever possessed her made her roll over and stand right back up, only able to on three legs now that the fourth was bent awkwardly. Blinded in red light and pain, Akira rammed into Darcia, taking him completely off guard, he thought he'd nearly killed her with that last one! They rolled clumsily and broke apart. Akira had rolled into the pool of Cheza's green blood. The liquid clung to her red fur soon as she touched it, soaking and sticking to her form as he lay in it. She couldn't breathe and couldn't move anymore, regardless of how much the urge to do so screamed at her seemed to force her to do just that.

_Kill him! Kill the traitor!!_

'I….. Can't….. Breathe….' She thought as tears of strain came to her eyes. the breath that was knocked out of her rushed back in a whoosh that filled her lungs soon as they regained the ability to hold air with in them after having the wind knocked out of them harshly, but it didn't last.

Darcia, staggering to stay standing, stood over her, holding her down with both front paws on her torso and shoulder. Green blood and saliva drooling from his hanging-open mouth as he wheezed for breath. His eyes were pupil-less as he stared down at her.

"You bitch" he wheezed. Akira cried out as he bent his head and tore at her ribs with his fangs, breaking at least two with resounding cracks that had to be bone.

"KYYYAAH!!" she cried out in the blinding pain.

"Heh….heh heh…. Heheheheeeehhhheheh!" he chuckled madly, "HA-HAH! HOW'S IT FEEL, BITCH? DO YOU LIKE THE PAIN!?"

Akira was scared to death! She couldn't move, but she glared up at him, eyes flashing from brilliant orange eyes to glowering red-glow possessed, "Go….To……Hell"

"First class with you at my side, sweet heart" He chuckled, licking her on the muzzle to mock her.

She snared her lips and growled at him, but it came out as a pained whimper. He laughed at her again.

"Heheh, hahah! HAH-HAHAHAAAHAHAHAAAAH- HAHA-GULCK?" he choked suddenly and stuttered in his laughter. Confusion written all over his face as Akira stared up at him, "Whah….what?" he quivered as more green blood started to flow from his mouth before he finally regurgitated it to the side of Akira's head while she flinched away.

"The blood of flowers is the most potent of poisons." Cheza's soft voice whispered where she lay on her side, glaring at Darcia with her sightless red eyes, "It devours your from the inside out with acid and toxins. Toxins that have no cure or other than the favor of the moon. You do not have such faith for your life" the flower said coldly.

Darcia staggered off Akira as he grew weaker and started throwing up his own blood that was mixed with the green of Cheza's poisonous blood, "It…. It burns!" he hissed.

Akira dragged herself away from him. Her eyes going completely back to normal as his impending death grew closer. She watched as he slouched down in the snow, hardly able to breathe right! The snow around the hole where he dug up the seed started to melt and a small puddle of black water with formed. A gentle aura surrounded it. One that called out to all of them as a mother would to her son that had returned from a great war.

"P-Paradise…." Darcia breathed as he started to drag himself after it.

Akira saw a sudden vision as he eyes flashed red for a moment and the voice called to her- _A sacrifice must be made. He who steps first in greed will sell his soul and be devoured._

"NO!" she called out with out thinking as she struggled after the dark wolf. Her pain slowed her down to small jerks that barely got her anywhere, "DON'T DO IT DARCIA!" she called to him, but he couldn't hear her!

"It's finally here…. paradise" he giddily stepped forward till he was nearly upon the dark pool.

"DARCIA!" Akira screamed.

Soon as his black paw touched the puddle, an array of lights flew up and engulfed him. From his screaming body burst an aurora across the sky. Luminescent lights flared across the sky in streams as Darcia's body was dissolved into them, they just grew brighter and brighter!

"Paradise has heard our plea. All is well now…" Cheza sighed tiredly.

"Che-Cheza!" Akira turned and dove in time to catch the flower before Cheza fell limp in the snow, wincing at the pain in her broken leg, but her body was starting to go numb as it was.

With in the now human-wolf's arms, Cheza slowly shook her head 'no', "Go to him…. he needs you more than this one."

"Akira! Cheza!" Kiba called. Akira looked back to see the white wolf desperately dragging himself with a limp toward them.

"Just hang in there, Cheza, Kiba's here, he's coming. Don't worry, you're safe now!" Akira hugged the flower to her chest, "You're safe now…." She started to cry, but held back the sobs.

Cheza pulled away and raised a weak hand to rest her palm against Akira's cheek, capturing the tears that fell there. The flower smiled up and the red-headed young woman, "This one is….. So happy…." She whispered.

"Cheza!" Kiba fell down soon as he reached them, fighting his exhaustion as he shoved his muzzle in Cheza's lap while Akira held her, "Cheza, I'm here now, you'll be fine, we won't let anything happen to you, paradise is coming"

Cheza started to go limp in Akira's arms, yet he flower still smiled at them, "This one is glad you two have met. Don't forget one another. This one promises you will meet after paradise heals this land. Your souls will never go with out one another, this one promises, so don't…… give….. up ………… hope…" Cheza's voice faded until she finally went limp in Akira's arms.

"Cheza?" Akira tightened her grip.

"Cheza…." Kiba shifted to human form, kneeling in front of Akira, "Cheza…. CHEZA!" he took her from Akira's arms and hugged the flower maiden to him, her body started to dissolve into seeds until he held nothing but her tattered cloak while the seeds drifted across the ground around them, "no…. no….. CHE-ZAAAAH!"

A rumble in the sky answered him, causing Akira and Kiba to look up confused. Low, dark clouds hovered over them, heavy with the scent of a rain storm…. Rain….

Akira started to realize what paradise really meant. Through her tears, she looked back down at Kiba, only to see him staring at the cloak Cheza once wore.

"Kiba…" she whispered.

"She's gone…. Cheza's gone…." Kiba looked up at Akira, denial in his eyes, "Is what paradise is? HELL?" his shoulders shook.

"Oh, Kiba…." Akira scooted towards him and wrapped her arms around him to pull him in a tight hug. His strong arms automatically dragged her to him as he held her to his person as if she were his last life line, "Paradise is coming, Kiba" she reassured, "Cheza said it herself. Paradise is coming."

"We were all supposed to go together….. Paradise is…. It was…." He hissed as if in pain and held her tighter- if she could feel, she was sure her wounds wouldn't be just tingling, but shooting with pain, "DAMN IT!"

"Shhh….shhh" she tried to comfort him, kissing the top of his head and petting his hair slowly to calm him as he panted in distress into her chest, "I'm here Kiba…" she whispered.

Something wet hit her nose and she looked up. Her eyes widening as she shook Kiba to get his attention, "Ki-Kiba! Look!"

Kiba drew slightly away from her, only enough required to look up into the sky, not wanting to let go of the precious physical connection they shared since he found peace with in her embrace. He looked up just in time to see the rain coming down at a downpour as it instantly soaked them and washed away the blood on them.

"Rain?" he whispered.

"YES! RAIN!" the sky had stopped raining long ago and had started the decay of the land. Only snow had fallen from the sky since- the sign of rain meant a new beginning, "PARADISE HAS FINALLY COME!"

Soon as she said that, a lunar flower bloomed near them. Soon as its beautiful white petals opened, others followed where Cheza's seeds had scattered, filling the bottom of the crater they were in until they sat with in a field of flowers. Only a large white patch of snow was left where they sat.

"Cheza's seeds…." Kiba whispered in disbelief.

The ice started to melt beneath them and soon it cracked. They were plunged into a clear lake in the middle of the flowers! They didn't feel the need to struggle to get free of the water's hold on them as they sunk down on their backs under water, looking up at the red moon as it slowly brightened back to its original silver.

A flash of light caught Kiba's eye just as his vision started to black out. He looked over to his side where he was holding Akira's hand as they sunk to their graves, too exhausted to fight for their lives and swim for the air at the surface. Akira was glowing red in a surreal way.

'Akira?' he said underwater as air bubbles escaped from his mouth.

But Akira seemed unconscious. She was glowing and unconscious! AND his vision was fading.

'AKIRAAAAAH!' he called out as his world went black. The last thing he saw was Akira fading in the watery depths……

098709870987098709870987098709870987098709870987098709870987098709870987

He gasped for breath, sitting upright in a bolt and panting for air as he gasped to get his lungs filled with precious oxygen. All he could see was white…. White everywhere! His vision slowly started to clear away from the blur and he realized he was in a pastel room, sitting on a hospital bed. Looking down at himself, he realized he was dressed in a hospital gown as well…

And…. His entire body hurt. His head was killing him and the light didn't help. What the hell happened to him? All he remembered was ….. Wait….. He didn't remember anything.

WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON HERE?

WHY was he in a hospital?

WHAT happened?

WHY THE HELL couldn't he remember a damned thing other than his name was KIBA?

"WHAT IN ALL THE FUCK'N HELLS IS GOING ON HERE?!" he roared, but immediately regretted it as his ears rang and his head spun, he suddenly felt faint, "Okay, bad idea…." He swooned and fell back on the fluffy white pillow behind him on the bed.

The door opened to reveal a confused looking brown haired young man with honey colored eyes. He wore a yellow hoody with black pinstripes on the sides and blue jeans. A leather choker with dog tag on it was about the kids' neck as he stood with a food tray in his hands, staring in shock at Kiba.

"You…. you're….." the young man gapped.

"What? And who the hell are you?" Kiba demanded, just as confused as the guy staring at him.

That seemed to hurt the boy, "You mean you don't remember me? Man, I know you had a pretty rough accident and probably lost some of your memory, but I'm like your brother from another mother, man!" the boy declared.

"Bro…ther?" Kiba slowly repeated. Something told him he knew this man, but no name was coming to him.

"For the love of god…." The boy set down the tray, "You're just as cluelessly intimidating as you always are." He stood straighter and pointed a thumb to his chest proudly, "Don't you remember? I'm Hige Hirotah- we practically grew up together!"

"Hirotah….." suddenly it clicked. He remembered this boy he called a 'brother from another mother', "Hige!"

"That'd be me, Kiba, my main man!" Hige pulled up a chair and held out a hand for Kiba to take, gripping tightly as they greeted one another more personally, "Good to see you finally awake! Doc said you've recovered an all, but you never woke up. Man it's nearly been two months!"

"Two months?"

"Yeah, you were a veggie for two months man and I had to look after ya!" Hige pulled back a moment, "well, that's not true. The rest of the pack helped as well…"

"Pack?"

"Man, have you forgot who you are while you were probably off fuck'n your dream chick in comatose land? Yes_ pack_ as in our wolf _pack_? What you are? A shifter?"

"I…. I'm a wolf?" Kiba could suddenly feel the truth to the words. He knew he was a wolf…. It was starting to come back to him now, but why was he here again?

Hige mistook the confused look in Kiba's eyes, "Where're the others?" he leaned back and folded his arms behind his head as he tilted back the chair to balance it on its back legs so he could rock a bit, "Toboe and Laura couldn't make it today- they had school, ya know? Tsume's busy keeping up the pack while you're away and Heart's following him around to make sure he don't screw it up. Blue just went to the ladies room a while ago, so she should be back…."

Kiba felt there should have been someone else Hige was supposed to mention, "Is that all in the pack?"

"Hmm?" Hige regarded Kiba mildly as he seemed to have spaced off at the mention of Blue, "Yeah, that's' all that I know of. I dunno anymore though. You left us for a while. You only came to the pack when it was necessary for nearly two years, otherwise you left Tsume in charge- thanks a lot by the way…." Hige mock-glared at him, "Heart and the girls think it's because you finally found a female to take as your mate, I don't know the details. I just know you were gone for most of the time when you should have been around with the pack so Tsume doesn't go all dominant on us. Then one day…. Bam! We found you near-dead with more bullets in you than a shooting-target out on the street no less. You took a hit to the head among five broken bones in your arm, leg and ribs. We all thought you were gonna die on us man!" he pointed at Kiba accusingly; "DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN!"

"Do you know why you found me like that?" Kiba asked.

"No…. no, man, I don't." Hige seemed guilty for not knowing. If what Kiba could understand was true, he was the alpha here, so it made sense that Hige would feel guilty for not being able to give the information that was so vital to his leader he seemed to like.

"Is he awake ye….t" Blue Kuraoi's question died from her lips as she opened the door and found Hige talking to Kiba…. An AWAKE Kiba, "KIBA! YOU'RE FINALLY JOINING THE LIVING!"

"Thanks…" Kiba sighed exasperated.

"Well after two months of nothing…. For a shifter that's not normal!" Blue suddenly glared at him, "What were you thinking getting yourself so beat up like that? You should have taken back-up! We would have killed them for you!"

"Relax, Blue, he doesn't even remember what happened to him" Hige placated her, "He barely remembers who and what he is. A case of amnesia"

"Oh god….." Blue sighed, "Tsume'll love to hear that…."

"Tsume….?? You both say that name, but who are these people?" Kiba asked confused.

Blue and Hige shared a look.

"Whooh boy…" Hige sighed.


	38. Chapter 37 The FullMoon Searches

A/N- Hello everyone! Aren't ya glad I didn't make ya wait 2 months again? Lol! Well, anyways, This story is sadly about to end (not in this chapter though), but fear not, there's still one chapter left to go and an epilogue afterwards ^_^. Update on the move to Colorado- I'm going back to Oklahoma for college next fall semester (sigh) it's beautiful up here, but my petite body wasn't made for blizzards and mountains. I'm made for humidity (though I find I sleep better with out that…. Ah, sacrifices…) heat, rain, odd weather and well…. Plains. Lol. The horses still haven't made it up here with my dad, but they should be coming around new years. Also, we're welcoming a new addition to the horsy family!! A friend of ours can't take care of her 15-year-old pony named Foxy (she's sooo cute!!)

So yeah, there's the boring update I should save for my non-existent blog… maybe I should take up blogging…. Nah.

Special thanks to:

LeopardDemenNovelist, Kaitline, Shadow and Little Shadow!

Acknowledgements: (I seriously love u guys! Thanks for all the support you've given and happy holidays to you all!)

Savagecreature, RedFang, tigerjaw, Amber, Dhole, Wildcreature, Sabertooth, Hellhound, gossipgirl, Snowstar, Quickstrike, Vixie, emilyruby, blackpanther, Siren, White Fang, QueenofSpades, Aquamarine, AngelOfVengeance, coldfire, WildKat, little shadow, sweetooth, alvinfreak676, freakingod, Furyguy, Hybrid, Carnage, fannyone325, HottyKat, Shurtugal, bloodymary, Venom, Blackwidow, Emeraldragon, howling1, stargirl, GangsofFury, Prettykitty67, merlyn1382, freddbing323, lucky, SilenceofDoom, Dusk, Dawn, wolfsbane, TwiLightzone, emeraldream, RavenDiesel1 …. (is that everyone?)

Side note- Sorry for all the confusion, but all I can say is that all will be revealed in these next two chapters (as they usually are) so I don't want to really post the questions and answers here just yet.- it'll ruin the surprise….

Enjoy!!

Chapter 37 The Full Moon Searches…

"_**I'm searching, I've been searching so long for you" **_

_**That voice… she knew that voice. Her heart demanded her mind to recognize that voice and her very soul shivered in a good way at the feel of it reverberate with in her very being. She felt dear to this voice, but…… she didn't know who it was.**_

"_**I've been searching for so long for you, yet you and I are too far away. Why can't I make you stay here with me? Why do you keep running away?" he sounded so sad and in pain to her. Akira wanted desperately to reach out and touch that voice. She wanted to bring it into her arms and never let it go. She was also searching for it, its owner. She was always searching……**_

"_**Please," she called out to the darkness of her mind, "Let me see you? Why do you make my heart race and soul shutter?"**_

_**A low wolf howl in the distance greeted her, again, the voice of that howl was so painfully lonely it broke her heart. It called out to her as a lost lover calls to its mate. She felt herself wanting to return the howl, but unable. Tears sprung to her eyes, "Please…please let this pain end… Let me see your eyes…" she asked.**_

_**She saw a pair of blue human eyes in her minds eyes. The face was shadowed over and she couldn't discern the details of the body, but those clear blue human eyes looked back at her through the darkness, looking right at her with such adoration that she took a startled step backward. The blue eyes flashed into that of golden wolf eyes that watched her. A pained whimper echoed in the darkness.**_

"_**Remember me. Don't forget me…"**_

_**A sudden snarl from behind her drew Akira's eyes away from the pained beauty of the amber orbs that gazed at her to turn and face the snarl of a black wolf that was so dark, night fall was envious of the true dark color. A golden wolfs eye and a blue humans' stared at her with hate and pain as the wolf snarled at her.**_

"_**You… you're…" she was struck with sudden fear.**_

"_**I will not let you forget who you are so easily!" the black wolf roared as he shot forward and pounced at her.**_

_**Her world went black.**_

---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-22

Akira shot up from bed panting. Her long red bangs covered her eyes for a moment, their thickness blinding her before she shoved them out of her way and into the mess of tangles and bed-tangles her long crimson tresses became during the night while she tossed in her sleep. She couldn't remember a night when she slept peaceful, she always tossed and turned restlessly when she slept as she was pledged with dreams of longing while she heard a wolf's sorrowful howl for her and a voice that sent shocks of pleasure to her soul. Tonight was the first night she was granted the color- or colors- of eyes to her mysterious man who haunted her dreams so longingly. It was also one of thousands where an adult alpha wolf with an uncanny resemblance to one of her three cubs, Shadow, attacked her after accusing her of forgetting him.

What did these dreams mean? Why did that alpha wolf look so much like her child, Shadow as a wolf?

Akira bent her head to rest in her palms and wept. Her heart was still hurting from the longing she felt during the dream. The overwhelming urge to remember put her in physical pain, but her mind was still too shattered from her wounds. The doctors had told her she was lucky all three pups survived the birth unharmed when she arrived nearly dead and unconscious in an ambulance, not only needing immediate care for her injuries no one was quite sure how she sustained, and going into labor as soon as she was stabilized.

It was over six months since all three of her pups were born: Shadow, Dakota and Mori. All three of them all different colors of wolf, but all having some kind of likeness of their mother. They alone where what kept her going and eventually, with the help of her family and pack, helped her decide to return to her studies in a different collage to get her degree so she could support her new family the human way as well as wolf way.

Over and over, she had been asked by expert investigators, family and friends about how she came to be so injured the night she was driven to the hospitable. The ambulance driver said they got an anonymous call from a pay phone and found her laying in the back ally, exactly where the tipper had suggested they'd find her. She had been alone and there were no other blood marks other than where she had fallen. She honestly couldn't recall anything of what happened that night. Her dreams were terrifying to her when she thought too much of it. She could see nothing in them, but she felt herself being tossed around and heard someone crying out to her telling her to run. She could hear the sound of wolf snarls and snapping jaws, but she always woke up quickly when one of these dreams occurred. Then there was the one she just had….

She still felt like something was missing, but it wasn't her memory. She felt it was a warmth that was lost from her side and she wanted it back. Her mother and close girl friends said it was probably her lover she had consummated with and father of her pups, but she didn't remember him. Her family knew nothing of him either since she met him during the 4 years she had gone off on her own as a lone wolf to explore on her own and go to college in the capitol city, Sanforran. They received a call from the hospital the next morning she was admitted into the St. Francis hospital of Sanforran, and that's all they knew. She had moved back home with only her clothes she wore on her back and her three newborn pups her family accepted into their pack as cherished new members of their pack. Her mother, step-mother and father all looked after the pups as their own and her elder adopted brother and his newly acquired and united mate also looked after the pups when Akira needed so she could attend her last months of college.

Masters degree, here she comes! Come May, she wouldn't have to worry about ever finding a good paying job to support her children. Her pack wasn't the richest- they were actually a country-traveling entertainment band. They did carnivals and circuses alike. Their main focus was musical, but the wolves often joined variety shows along the way, where ever there was entertainment to be needed, Sasuke's pack was willing to entertain. While their talents were usually used to entrain however, their physical prowess was also sold out for temporary guarding jobs. After all, humans knew the best guard dog was a wolf able to shape shift to a human.

Yep, they were carnies and guard dogs- two things that usually didn't coexist, but this life suited them. They loved to make people laugh and have a good time.

Lately, Sasuke had canceled all their family's dates until he was sure his daughter was well enough and the pups were old enough to not have to depend on the adults every moment of every day in their young lives. They were getting there….

Akira sighed as she swallowed back the useless tears. She hardly knew why she cried anymore. There was nothing to cry about other than the unknown of lost memories and the pain of an unknown lost love. She sat back and bonked her head on the head bored of the bed. They were all staying at Jasper's permanent home near Sanforran city until the pack was able to move on again. Her sensitive ears caught the whimper of the pups in the next room over- one of them must have woken up to the sudden noise she might have made in her sleep, Shura, her step-mother admitted that Akira did cry out in her sleep once in a while. Her real mother, Diya was a very heavy sleeper and therefore never heard Akira's cries, but apparently one of the pups had.

With a heavy sigh, Akira pushed her personal problems to the back of her mind and dragged the heated blankets from her person, shivering as the cold winter draft bit into her human skin as she swung her bare legs over the side of the bed and stood up with a stretch. Since she started breast feeding three gluttonous pups, she'd taken a habit of wearing comfortable boy shorts and an easy access slip top for night clothes. Sniffing back her earlier sobs, Akira walked out of her average bedroom and turned to her immediate right- the door to the nursery.

All three pups lay snuggled in one large crib custom built by Sasuke and Jasper as a present to the pups. They seemed to sleep longer together. She peered over the high rails of the large crib and smiled to see her children in their wolf forms. As pups, even though born in human form, they preferred to sleep as wolf pups than human infants. She didn't blame them. It was early December outside and the snow was starting to get heavy and cold winds harsh. She should have slept in the fur as well, but she usually woke up to torn pillows and ripped sheets when she slept in wolf form since she got a bit more violent in her nightmare troubled sleep.

It was Dakota who had whimpered awake now. Little 'Kota was the middle born of the three, she was also the only female of the small litter. Her white fur the color of snow and she had bright orange-golden eyes, a mix between her mothers and probably her fathers'. As a human, she had the soft beginnings of platinum blond hair growing in and beautiful light brown eyes that were only a few shades darker than her wolf eyes. Akira bent over the crib to take hold of the pup that lay between her brothers as she whimpered half asleep. Once the pup felt her mothers' human hands take hold of her to pick her up, the pup instinctively reverted to human form, curling to her mother for comfort as Akira hugged the child to her breast to reassure the whimpering girl.

"Shhh- ssshhh- shhhh" Akira cooed as she gently bounced the baby in her arms, "There, there, Kota…. I'm here, Momma's with you" Kota was still on the verge of crying. Akira's heart tore in her chest at her child's tears. The pup must have had a nightmare as well. The gentle mother could hear the howl of the snow storm outside, and she knew Kota didn't sleep well through any kind of storm. So she tried a different approach, one that never failed to calm her pups no matter if they were frightened, frustrated or had tummy aches. She sang a lullaby.

"_Little child be not afraid,_

_The rain pounds hard against the glass_

_Like an unwanted stranger,_

_There is no danger_

_I am here tonight_

_Little child be not afraid_

_The thunder explodes and lightning flash_

_Illuminates,_

_Your tear stained face_

_And I am here tonight_

_Someday you'll know _

_That nature is so _

_The same rain that draws in the ending_

_Falls in rivers of land_

_And forests of sound_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning…."_

Dakota lay in her mothers' arms limply and lightly snoring half-way through her mothers' lullaby her own step mother had taught her. Akira smiled lightly at the sight of the sleeping child, Kota with her own small smile on her face. She would sleep soundly for the rest of the night until her obnoxious brothers woke her up at dawn. Akira approached the crib once more and gently re-tucked-in her daughter between Kota's two brothers, watching as the white-blond baby girl became the white furred wolf pup that stood out in stark contrast to her darker brothers.

Mori snuggled back up to his sisters back once he felt her warmth return to the crib with a sigh. His dark rustic red fur had a tan under belly, muzzle and shadow above his eyes gave him a nearly fox-like appearance as he had a downy white tip at the end of his red tail. His paws looked like they'd been dipped in black paint, he was the most colorful of his litter. Nearly four different colors on his coat with hazel-golden eyes that had a rim of green around his irises in both human and wolf form. His human hair color was a reddish-brunette almost like his mothers auburn. He had a more of an array of colors in his hair though.

The eldest, Shadow, lay with his back to his siblings. His sister, Kota snuggled into him and he snuggled back, but he did not turn to her. Akira could already see the makings of a strong independent wolf in him. Diya warned that he'd be murderous to control in his adolescent years. The pup was nearly pure black, but was a smoky-shade that had a mixture of black and darker silver gray hairs to his fur, giving him a sleek shine to his fur. His eyes were mismatched- one blue as the sky and the other as gold as the sun. As a boy he already had a longer, thicker truf of black hair than his brother and sister- Kota only had wisps and Mori had less than that, but none of them were bald babies.

Akira shivered at the thought of her eldest' sons' wolf form. Shadow looked so much like the alpha wolf she saw in her dreams at night, but she knew it wasn't her son. She could feel it.

Her son would never attack his mother…

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"Kiba, I know you're out to get the pack back together, but you should have expected this" Hige sighed as he watched his leader pace back and forth before him in their pack den that was also a bar run by Tsume and Heart. Said wolves were currently half way across the world on their honey moon, leaving the bar in the care of Heart's younger sister, Blue and her fiancé, Hige. Both of which stood behind the bar, leaning on the counter and resting their chins on either their crossed arms on the counter (Hige) or in the palm of their propped up hand (Blue).

"They should have called back by now" Kiba grunted.

"It's their honey moon" Blue pointed out, "They're a bit busy"

"Heart promised to hack the hospital records and check for names" Kiba insisted.

"Well, I saw her with her laptop when they left, I'm sure she has by now" Hige yawned. It was too early on this Monday morning…

Their leader turned sharply and stopped his pacing to glare at them with sharp blue eyes, "Then what's taking her so long to get back to me on this?"

"My guess is that it's Tsume" Hige raised a brow.

Kiba snorted, "Gluttonous bastard" he mumbled and started to pace again.

Just then, the back door near the employee entrance to behind the bar opened and in walked the youngest members of the pack- Toboe Tsuchiri and Lauralai Wytewater. Both of which were seniors in high school with Toboe at eighteen and Laura at seventeen…. Speaking of which…

"Hey, runt," Hige glared at Toboe as the elder wolf stood straighter from where he had hunched over the counter, "What are you two doing out of school so early?"

"You guys just left like two hours ago," Blue also sounded suspicious. With out her sister or her new brother-in-law to watch over the two pups of the pack, Blue and Hige had taken over overseeing to the pups.

"There was an on-campus shooting" Toboe said tonelessly as he protectively held Laura to his person. The female teen wolf looked shaken as she stared blankly at the floor, snuggled tightly to his embrace.

"Shooting?" Kiba looked up alarmed.

Toboe nodded, "Some human gangsters were making a statement on how they felt about going to the same school as shifters. He shot down a tiger shifter, Jamal. A fight broke out since Jamal was still alive between some humans that are against shifters and Jamal's pride that were there. Laura was close by Jamal when it happened so she got a bit traumatized. I found her after one of her friends sought me out in my class and I just took her home."

"They'll see that as skipping you know." Blue sighed.

"Like I give a fuck" Toboe rolled his eyes.

"Watch your tongue pup" Blue shot back with a growl.

"What? Hige doesn't." Toboe protested.

Blue smacked her intended upside the head, causing him to yelp in pain, "WHAT?"

"Shut up" Blue gave him a dry look.

At that moment, Kiba's cell phone rang. He quickly dug it out of his jeans pocket and flipped it open, noticing Heart Hellsin's ID on the screen before he put it near his ear. The volume on as low as it would go with out being on mute- wolf senses and all…

"Kiba" Kiba answered promptly.

"Hello Mr. High and Mighty and Slave Driver of my Life" Heart teased with a dry tone.

"Heart?"

"Who else?" Heart replied, "You wanted a list of the hospital admittance right? I'm looking for someone named Akira Kuratsu?"

"What did you find?" he got down to business. He had slowly, over the six moths of recovery after he'd been admitted into the hospital by his friends remembered what he had temporarily forgotten. The girl he met and fell in love with three years ago…. And then that damned accident that tore her away from his side…

"She was there." Heart replied with a smile in her voice as she heard his sigh of relief, "And you'll never guess why."

"She was injured?" Kiba replied.

"That too, but looks like you were pretty busy with little miss Muppet" He could almost hear the smirk in her voice as he heard Tsume growl impatiently in the background as his mate dragged out the conversation over the phone with their alpha, Kiba, "Kiba, she gave birth at the hospital."

"What??" Kiba was shocked.

"Yeah, three pups. Two boys and a girl" Heart relayed.

"WHAT!" Kiba yelped.

His pack mates watched their alpha curiously until they heard the hushed and muffled voice of Heart say three pups.

"WHAT?" "EH?" "EXCUSE ME??" "I KNEW IT!" they all clamored at once.

Their alpha held up a single finger to jab up in the air for them to shut up.

"You're sure?" he demanded, still a bit shell shocked.

"It's right in front of me, the very report you asked for. These things are rarely wrong, unless there's more than one Akira Kuratsu. The dates and times match your fight perfectly." Heart replied.

Kiba groaned, suddenly realizing why she avoided him for the last long months before that fateful night only to disappear afterwards.

She had been pregnant with their pups and was afraid to tell him because he had once mentioned to her how pups tended to annoy him. Thinking back now, he'd said that well with in the nine months it would have taken her to go through her terms. She must have been trying to gauge his reaction by small questions she brought up and he had blown it!

"So, if we're done….?" Heart ventured.

"Address. Does it tell her current address?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose below his forehead to ward off a self-induced headache.

"39005 E Garder Road, Haylin. That should be just out of the city- a suburb even." Heart said, "Sorry, Kiba but if I keep making Tsume back off from trying to get in my pants again I think he'll resign from being beta…"

"Go on…" Kiba curled his lip in disgust, "I didn't need a visual of what he was trying to get from you… That's all I needed. Have a…. good time on your honeymoon"

"Oh we plan to" Tsume Hellsin's husky voice rasped over the phone before Kiba heard Heart giggle and the line go dead.

"Bastard." Kiba grumbled under his breath. He and his beta often had a brotherly love hate thing going on between them. They had once been rivals when the pack started off, but Tsume had backed down as the Alpha long ago. He didn't feel the position worth it anymore and had chosen instead to chase after Heart's tail until the female agreed to be his mate.

Clamping his flip phone closed, Kiba heaved a frustrated sigh while he turned to his anxious pack. All four faces were caught in expressions of varying intrigue, worry, and anticipation. Blue frowned as their leader chose not to tell them anything as he walked through the bar to the back stairs that led up to the loft apartments each of the pack members occupied- this was their den after all.

"So…?" she pursued him when Kiba didn't offer any information, "What's the plan?"

Kiba stopped at the threshold of the stairs, leaning one hand on the frame and turning to look over his shoulder at his pack, "I'm going after her." he said simply, as if it were obvious.

"_I_ as in just you or can we come with?" Hige pressed.

"Oh, I'd love to see this Akira girl" the usually silent and reserved Lauralai meekly chimed in, "She sounds lovely"

"Yeah, Heart said she gave birth to your pups, right? So that makes her our alpha female!" Toboe concluded excitedly. They had all been waiting for the day when their alpha took a mate to ease his usually cold disposition of life. They'd all noticed a lift in his spirits those few times he'd come back to the pack in the last three years, so they were all curiously eager to meet the female.

"First, I'm going up stairs to clean up." Kiba said, turning away from them, "After that, I go after her _alone_"

"Bull shit" Blue scoffed, "You went alone when you chased after her tail after you screwed up and ended up in a trap _alone_- you fought them off _alone_ and ended up in the hospital with temporary amnesia _alone_. Not this time, Kiba." Blue smirked, "We're either going with your permission, or we're just going to end up stalking you as you go _alone_. Your choice."

Kiba fully turned to face them all with a hard glare, willing them to stay out of his business, but they all had defiant looks of their own. It wasn't like they were committing a mutiny here, they had his best interests at heart, but they were really grating their alpha wolf's nerves. Kiba growled in annoyance, but he didn't want to waste time battling for wills with his pack when he could be reuniting with Akira right now.

"Fine." He grumbled in defeat. As his pack started to celebrate their little victory, he pointed an accusing finger to emphasize his point, "BUT- you guys wait outside while I talk to her alone, got it? You can come, but if I say wait, you wait, understood?" his blue eyes flashed gold, telling them he meant this.

The other wolves nodded with smug grins on their faces.

"Tell me you understand and are not just nodding at me to placate me." Kiba demanded dryly.

Lauralai tried to contain a giggle at her leaders over kill in ensuring that he had his alone time with his chosen woman, "Yes, Kiba, we'll back off so you can have a proper reunion with your new family. Right guys?" she looked around her innocently believing the others would agree.

"No problem" Toboe nodded with a grin as he tucked Laura to his side closer.

"I don't see anything wrong with that, sure" Blue submitted with a shrug of indifference.

Everyone turned to Hige expectantly. When the stocky wolf said nothing to confirm his compliance, Kiba growled lowly in irritation while Blue cleared her throat and gestured at Hige with a quick glace from him to Kiba- silently telling him to get on with it.

Hige pouted, "Do I have to?"

Kiba growled louder.

"Okay, okay fine! I'll do it, I'll step down when you tell us to" Hige complied grudgingly, "Though I don't really see why. Its not like you're going to throw her down where she stands at first sight of her and have your merry-deviling-way with her."

Kiba actually flushed at that and quickly turned around marching up the stairs, "Get ready to go. Blue, look up the address Heart gave us in the computer to give us a direct map to get there."

"I'm on it boss-man" Blue gave a two-finger-mocked salute and then pushed away from the counter to consult the flat-screen desktop computer in the employee room.

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Akira yawned widely in her wolf form as she lay propped up against the trunk of a fallen tree that lay under a large oak in the small field her brother owned on his large ranch. Laying across from her, also in wolf form, was her sister-in-law, Yumi. Both relaxed in the shade watching as the tree pups dashed around the field, romping and frolicking amongst themselves and the winter wonderland around them. They were still a bit wobbly legged and often tumbled about in the powdery snow, but they always scrambled right back up again to chase their prey they mock-stalked or bolt after a sibling they tumbled with. They were inexhaustible- always running about with more energy than any of the adults could muster to keep up with them.

Yumi sighed in content as they watched the white pup, Kota stop and sit on her haunches, panting, only to have her brother, Mori pounce on her from behind and then Shadow crashing into her from in front of her as he chased after a butterfly. The aunt-wolf chuckled as Kota yelped in surprise then growled as she fought off her meddlesome brothers.

"It must be nice to have them" the black and golden-brown wolf complimented, "I can't wait till Jasper and I have pups." She day dreamed.

Akira glanced at her sister-in-law, again wondering how such a strong wolf that was a pure-bred warrior to be envied even by alpha-males for her strength and prowess…. Could look exactly like a tamed German Shepard dog that was larger than normal with forest-green eyes. Akira's orange eyes shifted back to her playful pups with a smile on her wolf lips, "The day will come when we'll be watching over two litters instead of one rowdy one" her gentle smile turned to a wicked smirk as she turned back to look Yumi in the eye playfully, "Just keep your hopes up and faith strong and keep _trying_. I'm sure they'll come to you sooner or later."

"Oh, we've been trying." Yumi grinned wolfishly back, "That part of the deal's well taken care of."

"Alright, forget I said anything" Akira giggled as she grimaced at the thought of her brother _trying_ to make a pup with Yumi.

"You're so easily flustered for one that looks like a vixen" Yumi teased.

"And you're so strange to look at for one that is probably the strongest of the wolf warriors yet resembles that of a human military dog" Akira teased back.

"Touché"

"Momma! Momma!" Shadow's little voice bleated, "Watch dis momma! See how fast I run?" the little black pup darted around, showing off as he weaved in zigzags through the tall grass that stuck out of the two-inches of snow layered on the ground.

"That's very fast, little Shadow." Akira complimented motherly as the little pup slid to a stop near her and his aunt.

"One day you'll be the fastest wolf out there" Yumi said enthusiastically.

Shadow puffed with pride.

"That's baby-stuff" Kota snuffed as she pranced up to her mother with her nose in the air, jealous that her brother was hogging the attention of both their mother and aunt, "Anyone can flop about like you do"

"I don't flop!" Shadow growled.

"Do too, you look like a baby"

"Do not"

"Do to"

"Not"

"To"

"Not, not, not!"

Akira and Yumi shared exasperated looks as the pups bickered. Akira sighed and started to try and calm down her frazzled pups.

"Shadow, Kota" she gently said, but they ignored her as Kota shoved her nose against Shadows to glare at him eye to eye.

"To, to, to!"

"Not time a thousand!" Shadow smirked at her, daring her to try and best him.

"To- infinity!" Dakota grinned mischievously as she leaned away from her brother to coyly smirk at him, "Beat that!"

"Why you little-!" Shadow crouched down slightly to pounce, snarling angrily as his sister copied his stance.

Little Mori had caught his first field mouse and at that time chose to hobble through the snow drifts and out of the thick tall grass to proudly show his family, but dropped his prize startled at the death-glares his brother and sister were giving each other. The reddish pup whimpered and ran to his mother for comfort, not liking how scary his siblings were being.

"I'll make you eat your own liver for that!" Shadow cursed as he pounced, just as his aunt caught him by the scruff of his neck, growling lightly, "Put'meh down! She's got it comin to her!" he protested kicking and squirming in his aunt's grasp.

Kota was about to jump up at him when Akira's larger paw pressed down slightly on the pups back, holding her where she was, "That's enough you two. The fights' gone on long enough. You should be ashamed of yourselves for acting that way."

"But Shadow was showing off like a jerk! He thinks he's better than me" Kota whined.

"Do not!" Shadow pouted.

"Do so!" 

"Not"

"So!"

"NOT THIS AGAIN!" little Mori yelped and huddled closer to his mother's shoulder.

Akira sighed, "Look, will you two just…" her nose twitched and her orange eyes darted in the direction the wind blew, alert suddenly. With out looking back she addressed Yumi, "Yumi…."

"I smell them too." Yumi confirmed. The warrior female turned to look at Akira who glanced at the pups then up at the awaiting sister-in-law.

"Take the pups back to the den. You're larger and stronger than I am. Protect them" she said in a tone that wasn't to be argued with.

"I'll send for Sasuke and Jasper right away," Yumi nodded her compliance and stood to shake the snow from her fur.

"What about you momma? What's going on?" Mori looked like he was about to cry even in his pup form.

"I want you three to go with your aunt Yumi and stay with her," Akira said gently to her pups, "I'll be fine, I'll catch up as soon as I can." She nudged Mori with her muzzle so he'd follow his aunt along with his brother and sister, "Stay in your wolf forms until I or the other adults say so." She told them, watching as the large German Shepard-looking wolf quickly disappeared in the tall grass with three pups trotting under her belly to stay with in her shielding body.

Akira's ears pinned back as she looked back where the scent was coming from.

'_Now to lead these intruders away from the pack and by dad some time to catch on_' she thought, stalking off.


	39. Chapter 38 Finding and Keeping You

A/N- Hi everyone! Did you enjoy your holidays? I sure did! I couldn't update this extra long chapter on Christmas eve like I planned because I ended up driving 1,000 give or take miles from Woodland Park Colorado (just above Colorado Springs in the mountains) all the way down to Tulsa Oklahoma- my homeland! And hell did I have fun! I miss it so much down there with all my friends and plan to live in Oklahoma when I'm able to live on my own! Goodbye life I have now and hello ranch life in Oklahoma- yep, I'm very stubborn about it and yes it will happen so long as I keep my eyes on my prize- a ranch in Oklahoma! Haha!!

Oh, and I also looked up the college area I plan to go to. Oklahoma City- Edmund. There's even a barn close to the college I can board one of my horses at, but I don't know if I can afford it. Wish me luck that I can find a way to trade hard labor for the privilage of my sweet (obnoxious) little (with an attitude of a donkey) Derby (in other words, little man with big attitude. Lol!) to stay at.

Ah, but enough of my personal life. After all this isn't a blog!

Oh, I think I've forgotten this for the last few chapters-

Disclaimer- I don't own any of the WolfsRain original saga or characters in either manga or anime form. And if I did, Akira, Heart and all the others would have defiantly been in both manga and anime to spice up the gloomy attitude of the series ^_^!

-bad me! Bad! I forgot to put that damned disclaimer for the last few chapters. Bad. Bad. Bad!

Special Thanks to- ZannydeLeopardDeamonNovelist, Shadow and Little Shadow (you two rock out loud but my cell phone seems to hate you with a passion…. I sry!!!) and Kaitlan!

Acknowledgements-

Shadow, fannyone325, Emeraldragon, Fruyguy, coldfire, wolfsbane, Aquamarine, Hellhound, lucky, freakingod, TwiLightzone, QueenofSpades, bloodymary, Wildcreature, stargirl, HottyKat, Sabertooth, Hybrid, SilenceofDoom, Quickstrike, Venom, freddbing323, tigerjaw, blackpanther, gossipgirl, White Fang, Shurtugal, howling1, alvinfreak676, Dawn, Dusk, Dhole, Snowstar, Carnage, AngelOfVengeance, Sapphire-Rose-Petals, Amber, Prettykitty67, emilyruby, Savagecreature, RedFang, Siren, Fangs/GangsofFury ((lol! Sry! I type these names in and that came as a typo I missed! Ack! Sry sry sry! Lol)) WildKat, Blackwidow, Vixie, sweetooth, RavenDiesel1, …..?

Is that all of you and did I do another typo????????

No/Yes??

Okay then! Here comes 23 pages worth your wait! Hahahaaaaa!

Wow- hyper…. Need to chill…. Nah! I feel too good to chill! (Does the chicken dance for the hell of it!)

The last and only chapter left in this story is the one after this dubbed…..

Epilogue!!!! And after that EPILOGE there will be a note at the end- if u like/love writings I write, plz read that ^_^ ahahahahahhhaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Okokokokokok O-K! I'll stop….

Here's the next chapter-

Chapter 38 … Finding and Keeping You

"I can smell the markings of this territory" Hige said as the four wolves followed faithfully behind their leader, "We've passed their boundaries a while back with out permission from the alpha. You sure this is such a good idea Kiba?" he looked to the white wolf that was taking long strides in his hasty walk through the thickening snowy forests.

"Yeah," Toboe agreed anxiously, "What if the alpha takes our intrusion the wrong way and sends his wolves after us?"

"Then he'll send Akira as well and she'll end up coming to us instead of me having to seek her out." Kiba concluded.

"What if she doesn't even remember you though?" Lauralai curiously tilted her head.

Blue snorted, "Or she does remember you and is pissed off that you knocked her up."

"I'll make her remember me." Kiba said with little hesitation.

The rest of the pack rolled their eyes. This was definitely typical of their leader.

Kiba suddenly stopped. He stood tall and alert with his white ears straining to hear the sound that just alerted him that something was among them. He caught sight of something shift up ahead, but it was too far to gauge what color or shape of the animal just yet and the wind wasn't on his side. He let loose a low growl of frustration.

"They're already here, aren't they" Blue dryly remarked.

"I can't tell. The wind isn't on our side." Kiba grunted.

Hige thrust his nose in the air to sniff, but came up with nothing, "You're right, and the current's too strong to smell anything other than when the wind is blowing toward you."

Lauralai gulped and discretely hid herself behind Toboe with her ears flopping down cautiously, "Maybe we should go back. We might have offended them"

"I'm not leaving till I find Akira." Kiba retorted coolly as he started to trot forward.

"You crazy, Kiba? What if it's them? They'll tear you in half! Country wolves are vicious and unprincipled you know!" Hige scolded.

Kiba stopped to glare blankly back at Hige.

"Okay, so you can take care of yourself." Hige snorted, "Fine, go kill yourself."

"Hige…" Blue admonished, "Don't be stupid." She started to trot after Kiba, "We're going with him."

"I'm too young to die!" Hige complained.

"Oh stuff it." Blue giggled with a sashay of her tail, knowing that always got Hige to change his mind to her interests every time.

Toboe shook his head in disappointment as the larger stocky wolf all but bolted after his intended with his tongue lolling out to the side like a starved dog chasing a large stake.

"If I ever end up like that, slap me."

"I don't know if I could do that…," Lauralai admitted bashfully as they followed the elder wolves.

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Akira bounded through the forest, stopping every few moments to check over her shoulder to see if her pursuers were still there. The other wolf pack had fallen for her bait. She was hoping they'd get spooked and just go back to the territory borders, but this pack seemed either ignorant of pack etiquette, stupid, or they actually wanted to confront her own pack for some reason-dangerous or otherwise.

She didn't feel like taking a chance that it might not be a friendly neighborly hello they were after. So she led them to another end of the pack territory boundaries.

She panted out steams of warm breath into the frozen air as she slid carefully down a ditch and scrambled up the ice on the other side. When she safely made it across, she stood by a large tree to wait for the wolf pack to catch up, knowing that even if they did see her, they couldn't attack her with the steep and icy ditch that usually served as a small brook in the warmer months. She wanted to get a good look at these intruders as well. They rarely got any other pack visits in the country side just outside of the city. Wild wolves found it too close to urban human areas and modern city wolves found it too far from their urban lives. She wandered what purpose this pack served.

When no pack presented its self, Akira worried she'd done too well of a job in playing the runaway bait, "Come on…" she grumbled under her breath and paced a few times back and forth. Still no pack.

Sitting on her haunches, the red wolf tried a risky move. She leaned her head back and let loose a melodious howl that her family was known for. The alto of her voice echoed through the trees in a strong note any musician would feel proud of. Her ears perked when she was answered almost immediately. A low howl this time- one that sent a shock to her soul somehow.

'That dream…' she thought, 'I heard that howl in a dream before…'

Suddenly, out of the snow-glittered brush, a white wolf appeared. Behind him were four other wolves- a decent sized pack, especially when it came to five against one odds. The four following wolves noticed the steep iced ditch and slowed down to stop before they slipped in and fell, but the white wolf bolted forward headlong. Akira stood and started to back up with her red tail high in the air in alarm.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!" she shouted across to large ditch. To her it might as well have been a trench since it was very steep and fairly wide for a wolf to even think of jumping.

But that's just what this white daredevil did. With out hesitation, the white wolf threw himself from one side of the trench-like ditch and flew across to the other side. His grace ended once his front paw landed on the other side safely, but slipped on the sheet of ice that happened to be there. With an indignant yelp of surprise, the white wolf went crashing into the ground and fumbling in the snow, sliding to a halt in a less-than-graceful way of the wolf.

Akira stared in shock at the wolf as he happened to have landed not a foot in front of her. She realized that she had forgotten to breathe and started to pant for needed oxygen as the white wolf shook his head and looked up with searching golden eyes at her. Once his eyes locked on her own orange ones, the white wolfs golden eyes widened and then warmed with something akin to affection. Akira's ears lowered defensively as she took a step back, planning to make a run for it. He was looking at her like he knew her! What's his deal?

"It's you…," he said softly as he stood up.

Akira took another few steps away from him when she realized just how much bigger this wolf truly was compared to her. He was born of alpha blood. She wasn't dealing with any rogue-pack leader weakling, but a wolf born and raised to be an alpha wolf. Just like her father.

He started to close the distance between them when Akira growled lowly to appear intimidating. She was almost surprised that he stopped when she warned him with her growl. She must be getting better in her bluffing skills.

"Stay back" she warned.

"Akira," the way he said that he seemed to know what she was playing at, but wanted her to understand.

Akira's growl faltered, "I never told you my name." she lifted her head and her ears pointed forward, startled now.

"Of course you never told me your name. I had to find your name for myself after we first met from your human bus driver." He grinned disarmingly, and yet still he showed an open affectionate expression toward her. It set her on edge.

"I don't know you!" she gritted her teeth, but could not bring herself to snarl at this wolf again. Her mind started to flash visions at the speed of light. None of them were coherent to her and most were just shapes, colors and sounds. Nothing clear, but one thing. The vision of blue eyes of a man and golden eyes of a wolf. Her head started to throb, making her grit her teeth tighter.

He actually seemed hurt that she snapped at him so venomously. His white downy ears fell slightly from their excited point and his tail lowered as well, "But…,"

"MOMMA!" Akira's heart stopped when she heard her pup, Shadow's voice bark from the trees to her right. Darting her eyes back and forth from the trees to the wolves in front of her, the she-wolf tensed as she kept a close eye on the white wolf's reactions.

He seemed surprised when the smoky-black pup came bounding out of the trees, trying to hop through the snow to his mother. Shadow stopped just out of the trees when he saw his mother wasn't alone.

"Mommy..?" Now Shadow was unsure. He didn't seem afraid, as his tail and ears were still erect and high. He tilted his head curiously as his golden and blue eyes assessed this new wolf.

The white male wolf did much of the same as he stared back at Shadow. He seemed just as curious about the pup as one ear flopped to the side while the other stood high. He seemed curious but didn't know what to think of the pup's sudden arrival. Akira noticed he sniffed in Shadow's direction and took a curious step forward. That's when Akira lost it.

Snarling in a surge of flaring motherly protectiveness, Akira suddenly flung herself right in front of the white wolf with her teeth bared in a vicious snarl. Her fur stood on end and paws braced apart at the ready. She was angered even more when the white wolf did nothing to react negatively to her obvious threat. He simply and respectfully backed away, but his golden eyes bore into hers where as he would have looked away if he were giving her right to dominance of the situation. He was either respecting her cautiously while trying to maintain his own dominance …. Or he was just an arrogant asshole.

As suddenly as she had rushed the white male, the other four wolves surrounded her and her son that now hid beneath her body. Akira's eyes darted to each of them. None of them bore teeth to threaten her with violence, but then did brace their paws apart and lower their heads in a show of an underlying threat should she attack their alpha.

"Don't you _dare _take another step toward my son! What do you want?" She growled out, trying to keep all wolves with in her sight, but it was their leader that set her on edge the most.

The female black wolf with blue eyes growled lowly, "Watch that tone of yours," she rumbled threateningly.

"Enough, Blue. She has every right to be wary of me." The white wolf commanded.

The wolf called Blue looked to her alpha before snorting and ceased her growling, but her blue eyes still bore into Akira.

Akira turned back to the white wolf, "Who are you to say such things and what do you want here?!" she demanded her upper lip twitched over her fangs in a show of fronted irritation while deep inside she was terrified, "I wont ask again, Snowflake." She once again thanked her father, brother and sister-in-law for teaching her to prefect her bluffing skills to mask her fear in dire situations such as this.

The white wolf walked toward her, not taking his eyes off her own until he was just beyond her discomfort distance of about a foot away, "I am Kiba Mitsuyuri, and this is my pack, well most of it," he admitted, "I am here to help you remember."

"Remember what?" she cautiously asked. Shadow huddled against her front legs, shaking slightly, but Akira couldn't tell if he was cold or frightened as he should be from the start. She had to be strong for the both of them now.

"You don't remember the time before your gave birth to that pup, do you?" he asked knowingly.

Akira's ears folded to her skull as she lifted her chin on the defensive again, "Are you telling me you knew me from before?"

Kiba grinned a wolfish grin, "A bit more than that. How far back can't you remember?"

"Why should I tell someone I don't know?" her heart felt heavy when she said that. Like it was a lie to say such a thing.

"So you really don't remember the past four to three years or so is it? That is if you have no recollection of myself." He shrugged as he seemed to mumble more to himself now than her, "You must have hit your head harder than I thought."

"What's it to you?!" she barked back sharply, getting aggravated by his calm attitude with her.

Feeling his mother's confusion and anxiety, the pup under her growled in his little voice, wanting these older wolves to leave his mother alone, "Yeah, what's it to ya?!" he demanded, puffing his chest out to look bigger, but all he managed to attract was mild amusement from the wolves surrounding his mother.

The white one called Kiba looked down at Shadow and seemed to smile warmly but Akira's tail raised again in a threat as she growled lowly, urging an answer from the male. She lowered her head so Shadow was slightly shielded from sight, giving the pup the hint to stay quiet and out of sight. She looked ready to kill if this Kiba and his pack seemed too interested in her pup.

Once again, loving golden eyes looked up at her from the distraction of the amusing pup, "I was your mate to be."

The sudden flashes of memories in her head started to clear in that instant. Blue eyes came from a man that held her heart and the golden wolf eyes revealed the wolf before her. A name the same as the one this wolf gave her filled her mind and made her heart swell while her mind revealed forgotten memories of their love, leaving her shellshock in its wake. She blinked her orange eyes confused and felt like she was waking up from a dream…. Or slipping off into one. It was really more of a sense in Deja'vu that struck her deeply making her heart quiver as her mind desperately tried to recognize the familiarity of this wolf.

The name suddenly felt more real to her, "Ki…Kiba?"

Said wolf perked his ears and cautiously approached her, "What did you see?" he asked softly. The other wolves watched with mixed feelings of excitement as their leader approached the stiff female and her pup, ready to step in if the mother wolf got violent with their leader so close to her pup. Shadow wanted to back away instinctively from the unknown alpha male, but he was rooted in his spot just under his mother's rather fluffy chest. Her winter coat was shaggy and thick and was a good, secure blanket of cover for the pup as the white one approached at a respectful distance. Besides, as eldest of the litter, it was HIS duty to protect his mother and he wouldn't let this strange wolf push her over like this.

"I saw…. I saw you." she looked into his eyes, searching and finding the man and wolf she knew she had loved, "I saw you four years ago before I…" she looked down at the growling pup between her front legs then glanced up at Kiba with wide eyes before darting her eyes away from his nervously, "Oh crap…," she realized that when she knew this wolf before… she never told him about being pregnant…. What would he think of Shadow? Or Mori and Dakota for that matter??

Shadow's warning growl directed at Kiba softened up to a chiding gurgle as he perked his ears up at his mother while his small smoky tale wagged, "Momma say bad word. Bad momma," he scolded.

Kiba looked from the pup to Akira in a quick glance, "So he… he's your-,"

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Jasper snarled as the green eyed silver wolf tackled Kiba into the snow from where he burst out of the trees, taking everyone present by surprise. His long fangs that usually just barely overlapped his lower lip were bared threateningly as Kiba struggled underneath his weight to get free and fight back.

"KIBA!" the other four wolves rushed to help their alpha when a large dark brown wolf, Sasuke stood between them with bared fangs. At his flanks were his ex-mate, Diya and his daughter-in-law, Yumi. Both females sharpened for a fight. (Shura stayed behind with her pups and the remainder of her grand-pups)

"Stay where you are!" Yumi demanded as the four wolfs hesitated. Her forest green eyes darted to where Shadow froze under his mother, "And just what are YOU doing here?" she growled.

Shadow tried to make himself smaller as he lay lower to the snowy ground under his mother, "Well… umm," he whimpered pathetically as his Aunty snorted and gave him a look that promised she wasn't done with him just yet just before she whirled her attention sharply on the other four wolves just as one took a step forward. With Yumi's unusual large size that was only smaller to Jasper's, the other wolves wisely stood down, but bore their fangs none the less.

"How dare you trespass on our lands!" Diya snarled.

"Yumi? Mom, Dad…. JASPER!" Akira shook her head in disbelief, "Jasper, get off of him!" she barked.

Jasper was having a hard time keeping the slightly smaller white wolf down, "You crazy?" he gritted out as he wrestled with Kiba. Kiba seemed to be gaining an edge on the silver wolf as they grappled about in the snow. Jasper's ivory fangs snapped viciously at Kiba while the more agile white wolf just barely escaped the gnashing jaws of the silver wolf above him. Kiba himself didn't try to draw blood they way Jasper seemed so intent to do, but he was determined to get away from his attacker. The two very dominant males wrestled about like this when a streak of red, known as Akira, barreled head long into her brother to shove him off Kiba with all her might, while leaving her pup unprotected and confused. Why was his momma attacking her brother, uncle Jazz? Wasn't he on their side?

"I said get off!" she had landed on him with her paws braced on either side of his head, staring intently into his confused green eyes. When she received no coherent response from her baffled brother, she shoved herself off of him and walked away to stand protectively in front of Kiba as he panted for breath.

Sasuke looked over at his daughter confused while the other two females kept their eyes on the four outsider wolves, "Akira, what's gotten into you. You don't even know this male,"

"Yes I do," she bravely stood taller as all the other wolves, including Kiba stared at her in awe, "Kiba is my mate. The father of Shadow, Dakota and Mori." She announced proudly. The other wolves in her pack stiffened. Her pup, Shadow, tilt his head still way beyond confused. What was a Ma-ate anyways? He whimpered in his confusion.

"Father?" Jasper looked from his sister to the male he had tackled as he stood up and shook the snow out of his fur and glared at Kiba who stood behind Akira, "_him_?"

"But you said you never knew the father…" Yumi said unsure.

"Then you must have recovered the memories you lost!" Diya happily wagged her tail as she pranced up to her daughter and nuzzled her fur lovingly, "You're finally fully recovered."

"I don't know about that…," Akira shyly admitted, backing away from her mother to Kiba's side discretely checking him over for any wounds. With a sigh of satisfaction when she found none, she nuzzled her own head under his, shyly, in open show of affection while the white male seemed to preen happily like a house cat.

"Mommy?" Shadow whimpered, starting to shiver from the cold as he sat in the cold snow.

Akira whined her apology for leaving her son alone quietly as she trotted over to him to lick his face reassuringly. She lowered her body in the snow next to him and curled around him to help warm the young pup as he shivered. He practically shook with a mixture of confused anxiety and cold when he saw Kiba also approach behind his mother and the rest of the alien pack curiously huddle a safe distance behind him, "It's okay, Shadow. Your Papa's here now." Akira reassured the pup when he pressed back into her unconsciously.

"Pappa?" Shadow looked up at Kiba curiously, "Do I have a Pappa?"

Kiba lowered his head when he approached the mother and pup to come nose to nose with Shadow. He gave no formal distance this time, feeling that Akira at least recognized who he was to her and her child. In a show off deep affection, the white wolf put one pay over Akira's back so he partially stood over her and the pup, slightly discomforting the curious dark pup with how close he was to himself and his mother. Jasper tried to mute a frustrated, threatening growl- not liking how this new wolf took liberties with his much protected younger sister and nephew. His mate, Yumi shot him a look to behave, but she also seemed tense and uncomfortable with the situation. Diya and Sasuke were motionless as they watched on, neither showing tension of discomfort or warmth of acceptance.

"You've always had a Pappa, pup," Kiba gently rumbled in a soothing voice he hoped would put the pup to ease, "He… I've just…. I lost you and your mother for a while, but now that I've found you, I won't let you out of my sights." He promised.

Shadow perused this stranger claiming to be his father curiously. His little nose wiggled as the pup took in Kiba's scent cautiously as said white male waited patiently for the pup's verdict. Blue and golden eyes clashed with gentle amber-gold ones as the pup looked up at him. after a moment, Shadow's little fluff of a tail started to wag behind him, making his little body vibrate as he stood on his hind legs and leaned his front paws on his father's muzzle playfully, "Do you play chase and hunt?" his little tongue lolled out of his mouth in his excitement.

Kiba seemed taken aback a moment when the pup openly accepted him, but it was quickly washed over with fatherly pride, "You kidding, I invented that game," Kiba grinned playfully licking the pup as Shadow fell back down to all fours, as excited as ever, "I play that and many more games I can teach you,"

"Really?" Shadow's tale went on over drive as he jumped excitedly in the air, making Kiba jerk his head back so he wasn't bonked in the chin, "wait till Kota and Mori hear this! Momma did you hear that? Papa's gonna teach us games!"

Akira grinned down at her pup, "Yes I heard," she nodded, catching Kiba's loving gaze and returning it with her own bashful one. She wandered if he was always this intense when he stared at her or if it was just because he had lost her for so long?

"Well then." Sasuke cleared his throat to break up the spiraling mood that seemed to intensify between the apparent mates, "Please, Kiba. You and your pack must join us at the den so we all may hear these misunderstandings up front." It wasn't an invitation. The dark alpha was troubled by all this confusion and wanted to get the full story. He was willing to trust that his daughter and this male were already involved, but not having all the information put himself and his pack on edge. They had looked after Akira and her pups for so long while the new mother was helpless and fully dependent on them to survive that all of them weren't willing to just drop their well built defenses for some slip of a wolf and his pack to claim he had a right to Akira and her pups.

Kiba lowered his head submissively, surprising the rest of his pack, "Yes, sir." And then he followed the pack like a cooperative captive as Sasuke's pack surrounded his own as best they could to escort them to the den.

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"So this is the mystery man then?" Shura looked over Kiba when her mate introduced their new "guests" to his mate and the pups she guarded. They were all in their human forms here out of habit since Sasuke's den looked more like a human household, "He certainly is handsome. Akira really out did herself, with her nature being shy and all,"

"Shura.." Sasuke sighed.

"Mom!" Akira blushed brightly, glancing quickly at Kiba then down to the floor embarrassed. Kiba stood at her side with Shadow sitting in the crook of his arm and wrapped around his torso. The pup took very well to his new father and hadn't left Kiba's side since they started back. Blue eyes caught Akira's blush and a smile broke out.

"I'm just saying you're very good at choosing a mate." Shura defended with a bright smile and a chuckle. Five pups peeked out from behind their mother/step-grandmothers' skirts curiously at the strange man holding shadow and the four strangers that stood behind a cautious Diya, Yumi and Jasper. Sasuke had taken his place beside Shura and rolled his hazel eyes at his wife's bluntness.

"We should hear his story before we decide on what to think of Akira's "catch" just yet, Shura," he warned.

Shura glared at Sasuke and whapped him with the back of her hand on his shoulder, "None of your macho-stuff, Sasuke! This is your son-in-law we're talking to," she retorted before looking back to Kiba and the rest of their guests with a bright welcoming smile, "Welcome to the family, can I get you anything? Tea? Water? Cookies? Liver?"

"Liver?" Blue shared a curious look with Hige who shrugged, but licked his lips, salivating nonetheless.

Shura shrugged, "Wolves have a different type of snack." She grinned.

"Shura," Diya snapped, "This isn't some tea party celebrating a wedding! This man caused Akira's memory loss! Who knows what the real truth behind all this really is? He could very well be our enemy and yet here you are offering him and his miscreant pack FOOD!" the more practical of the two elder females chided her ex-mates new mate for her lack of guard around these strangers. 

"You sound just like your Ex." Shura droned, sending a sidelong glare at her mate Sasuke who acted like he didn't see her.

"Yeah, well if someone like you were to run this pack we'd be pick'n up shady-strays left and right." Diya sighed. There really was no rivalry between the two females regardless of having been involved with the same male at some point, but they did often have opposite views. Where Shura was open and accepting with a smile, Diya was wary and calculative with a frown. The fact was that when Sasuke and Diya mutually agreed to break off their union, Diya had left the life of a pack behind her for a long time. She'd become distrustful in her years of a lone wolf and had only recently rejoined the nomadic pack when word of Akira and her pups trauma reached her. Shura however had always grown up in a loving environment around humans and seemed to have a calming effect that even helped the jaded rouge, Diya, let down her guard.

"We'd have a larger family pack then. So what?" Diya snuffed immaturely.

Diya growled frustrated.

"O-kay…," Yumi cleared her throat looking from both her mother-in-laws, "Should we stop this…. Creative discussion and start with this Story Time we dragged these guys all the way back here for?" 

"Yes… lets…," Sasuke seemed relieved. He always felt awkward when the two elder females fought, even though it usually had nothing to do with him and it was harmless bantering that never even provoked a flash of a fang or claw. It still felt…. Weird.

"I still don't trust the bastard." Jasper snorted as he shoved pass Kiba, walking into another room beyond the entrance foyer where the door had an animal-skin flap hanging over it with simply drawn wolves on it, like one would see on the side of a Teepee, "Lets just get this over with so I can kick this kid and his groupies out."

"Jasper!" Shura scolded, making the full grown male flinch, "Where are those manners I taught you?" she demanded.

"Manners are for human company, not other wolves, mother." Jasper excused with a secretive roll of his green eyes while the flap-door flopped down behind him.

As the others followed the sandy-blond man's lead into the next room, Kiba and the others found themselves in a type of conference room one would find again in a Teepee. There were wooden benches made from plywood and stones aligned in a large circle a few feet from the walls. In the center was a fire pit lined with more stones where Jasper was stoking up a new fire. Along the walls, torches hung, ready to be lit as Jasper's mate, Yumi took a small stick from the now roaring flame in the pit to alight the torches around the room while Sasuke's family took their designated seats. Kiba and his pack were ushered to sit across the fire from the other pack while Akira and her pups gather around her sat at her fathers left while his own mate sat at his right.

"So…. About your story…," Sasuke initiated, leaning forward and ready to try and understand this young man's view.

Kiba didn't miss that his own pack also seemed to perk at this. He had yet to tell them the whole story about himself and Akira. Gulping down his guilt from keeping her from them, Kiba's blue eyes discretely glanced at Akira across the fire. She had a faint blush on her cute nose, judging from that, Kiba guessed she had to know most of it. Taking a deep calming breath, Kiba stared into the fire to retell the tale of himself and Akira.

"Do you want the whole story or the abbreviated one?" he asked almost quietly.

"Abbreviated." Jasper groused. His mate, Yumi elbowed him as she and the other two clueless females of the pack besides Akira glared at him while his father sighed. Sasuke knew he should have taught his son more in the ways of females.

"We'll hear the whole thing if you don't mind." Diya butted in.

Kiba lifted his head to look at her directly, "It's a long story." He warned.

"We've got a _long_ time." Sasuke replied. His mate at his side smiled sweetly as she cuddled two of her three cubs in her lap as they started to drift off. Her daughter-in-law held the third cradled in her arms while Akira and Diya attended Akira's own pups.

"Besides, I just love romantic stories!" Shura nearly gushed. Diya rolled her eyes while Yumi sighed in exasperation and Akira bowed her head blushing brightly.

"Mother…," Akira shyly hissed while Shura grinned and nodded for Kiba to continue.

Kiba looked back into the fire as the fond memories came forth and warmed him from the inside to compliment the warmth the fire gave on the outside.

"Three years ago, I was patrolling my territory in the city. I felt particularly restless that day so I ventured a bit further away from our strict boarders with the neighboring pack when I saw Akira for the first time standing near a bus stop…" he began.

Kiba felt restless. He'd been feeling restless for a while now, and wanted to get some fresh air from his pushy pack.

"**You need to get a mate to get rid of all your stress," Hige had joked when Kiba snapped and snarled his dominance. The chunky wolf wasn't the only one to harass the alpha about his lack of a lover. Having had enough, he had taken a long, very much needed walk. He left no borders unchecked and when he was finished with their perimeter, he felt reckless enough to venture into Terk's territory- a rival, much larger pack that constantly butted heads with Kiba's own. It was there, among the stench of foul-smelling homeless humans and badly-cooked hotdog-stands that Kiba's nearly clogged nose picked up the scent of the most alluring smell he'd ever sensed in his life. Compelled by its exotic allure of spice, sweet flowers and wolf, Kiba followed it curiously through out the streets. **

'**Yes… Kiba…,' a soft feminine voice seemed to smile as it graced his ears in the whispers of the wind, startling him to stop short and look around alert, 'Go to her Kiba…. She is near… she is waiting. This one promised you a future for one another…. A promise that will be kept even through life times,'**

"**Who are you?!" he growled the demand, turning about to survey the area around him for the enemy he knew had to be near- it was **_**their**_** territory after all… but this voice didn't sound like it came from any being near him. It almost seemed as if the wind itself were whispering fleetingly in his ears. Taking a deep breath to try and find a suspicious scent, he noticed the alluring one he was following seemed nearly faded. His heart pounded with adrenaline. It felt like if he let whatever this scent belonged to get away that the world would end or something!**

'**Yes… find her…. She won't stay much longer…. Find her Kiba…' the voice urged.**

"**If anything crazy ends up happening because of this, I'm calling a Shrink." He grumbled under his breath and took off running after the scent. **

**Its faded glory started to intensify again as he felt he was getting closer to the scent. His heart pounded in his chest as his legs ran faster than he'd run in years! Turning a sharp corner near the end of a block of buildings, his heart stopped as did his legs. His whole body froze in awe at the sight of her.**

**Standing not 12 feet away from him was a petite woman with flowing embers of red hair she pulled back into a low ponytail. She had a backpack slung over her left shoulder that was covered in a gray sports tank top with a dark colored hoody over it and worn jeans. The hoody's sleeves were rolled up to her elbows as she glanced down at her watch secured to her right wrist worriedly. Her eyes were a startling shade of orange-gold, a color so bizarre that Kiba knew she wasn't human, regardless of the fact that her scent told him she defiantly wasn't human but very much like his own. **

**She was the most beautiful thing Kiba had ever seen and she made his heart stop and stutter at the sight of her. The wind breezed against his face from her direction and granted him with her intoxicatingly addicting scent making him want to sigh heavily just to hold it in longer.**

'**This one has given her back to you, Kiba…. Take care of her.' The voice whispered again.**

**The woman's' buss arrived and screeched to a noisy halt that usually made Kiba grimaced, but he could do nothing but stare wide-eyed at the woman with long red hair and golden-orange eyes as she flipped her ponytail over her shoulder out of her way and approached the extensively long public transportation. As the doors of the bus creaked open and she started to board, Kiba took a step forward. His voice working before his brain knew he said anything.**

"**Wait," he said in a rushed voice that was lost in the sea of people that walked around him in the streets of the crowded city, but he was shocked to see that she hesitated to board the bus. Her orange eyes wide with alarm as she scanned the crowds for a moment before she settled her sights on his golden amazed ones. She also seemed surprised to see him as she stared back at him. Time stood still for Kiba as this angle with crimson hair held his gaze. He knew she was looking only at him and felt his heart soar in euphoria. That is, until the beauty he seemed to have captured gazes with turned startled back to the bus, dampening the connection he felt toward her as she seemed to quickly apologize to the bus driver and hurried on the bus just before it roared back to life and rumbled pass Kiba. He watched the vehicle until he could see it no longer from where he stood. Though the moment she looked away made his heart pit and drop slightly, he still felt an amazing pull toward that woman…**

"**Who are you….?" He whispered….**

"…I couldn't get her off my mind. Everyday, I found myself straying further away from my pack and territory to stay closer to that bus stop when I found she was there every day, twice. I practically stalked her for a week until she finally spoke to me… after that, we started seeing each other, other than the bus stop and eventually I ended up waiting just out side her apartment building just to see her until she finally offered me to just stay with her…," Kiba grinned.

"**What are you doing out here?" Akira shouted over the rain as she tugged her raincoat tighter to her body while she huddled under the over hang of her apartment building.**

**Kiba was sitting on a bench in the rain where he had a view of her small balcony five stories above them in the building. His blue eyes quickly locked on the woman he constantly found in his every thought and peaceful dream. A wide, uncharacteristic grin on his soaked face grinned back at her, "Isn't it obvious? I'm waiting until you come down tomorrow."**

"**TOMORROW?" Akira yelped flustered, "Kiba, you do realize it's freezing rain out here? This is stupid!" she clenched her fists in frustration, "Don't you have a home to go to?"**

"**Sure I do,"**

"**Then get your ass off that cold bench and out of the rain and go there already!"**

"**Not happening." **

"**And just why not?" she demanded.**

"**It's too far from you." He shrugged as he stood up and calmly joined her under the over hang, shaking his head to dislodge the water from his shaggy hair. Akira shielded her self from his antics with the rain. When she opened her eyes again, she yelped and jerked away when she found herself literally face to face with Kiba.**

"**Why is it so important for you to be near me? I understand we're friends and all, but you really need to go home to your pack, Kiba."**

"**That's not what you or I want." Kiba said softly, loving the way her sun kissed skin darkened with red across her nose as her orange eyes darted everywhere but him and finally landed on her feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world to her, "Besides," he shrugged and gave her a devilish grin he knew got to her, "It's **_**freezing rain **_**out here. If I were to walk in it now to go all the way home, I'd catch a cold easily and could die on you. You wouldn't want me to die from a cold now do you?" he smirked at her.**

**She glared back, "You sat out here all this time, I'm sure a little walk wouldn't kill a proud wolf like you." She said suspiciously, but he could tell he was winning the war.**

"**Nah," he retorted looking out at the rain, "I hear that sitting in the rain isn't as bad as walking in it. You know, exercising gets your pores open and then comes the bacterium that leads ultimately to deadly colds and such." He glanced at her sidelong while she sighed, his grin widening- he got her!**

"**Where'd you hear that bull?" she tried to sound tough. How cute…**

"**My mother actually," He retorted, daring her sympathetic heart to rebut him.**

**Another heavy sigh of defeat answered him as she turned for the door again, "Come on, I don't want another thing for my guilty conscious to eat at me for the rest of my life." She opened the door with her cardkey and held it open for him, albeit in a front of reluctance, but he saw right through it to her bashful shyness at letting him so close to her by inviting him in. as he walked pass her, she spoke up again, "Just for the night, though. Tomorrow, you're going back to your own pack and letting me have some solitude again. I am in College you know, I have to study with out you sometime."**

"**What ever you say." He replied smoothly.**

**After that night, Kiba never left for the next two and a half years…**

"So you fell in love like that?" Hige spoke up behind his alpha curiously. This was the first time to hear the whole story for them as well. He shared a look with the rest of his pack.

Across from them, Shura sighed content, "It's all so romantic…," she leaned over her disgruntled mate to pat her step-daughter on the knee, "You were sooo lucky, Akira! I wish I fell in love with as much magic as you did!"

"Oh please….," Jasper scoffed appalled at his mother's enthusiasm, "Haven't you forgotten that there's more to it? He caused her memories to get fucked up and you're _praising_ their relationship?"

"It wasn't like that!" Kiba snapped defensively. All eyes returned to him curiously and Kiba suddenly darted his gaze nervously to the flames again while Sasuke stoked the fire to full strength again, "I didn't mean for that to… it wasn't my…. I couldn't…. grah…," Kiba fisted a hand in his hair frustrated, "Damn it all…. I…,"

Everyone could tell the young man was struggling internally about this. Akira seemed to understand exactly what he meant as her sad eyes looked at him sympathetically across the flames, "Kiba… you couldn't have known they would have sought me out…,"

"It was obvious they would. Even Zandar bothered to warn me about them!" he denied, "I am alpha to a rival pack. I stayed in their territory for far too long recklessly thinking they wouldn't dare try anything and they did!" he gritted his teeth.

"See what I mean?" Jasper retorted with a disdainful snort.

This time, Yumi raised her fist above his head and slugged him a good one atop his crown, making the sandy blond yelp and fall from his seat.

"WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR?!" Jasper demanded, rubbing his abused skull, "Are you planning on becoming more abusive?!"

"Idiot…" Yumi snorted at him, "You said there was more to his story right? Eat your own words for once!" her voice lowered to a whisper as he sat back on the bench beside her with a bit more space between them than before, "Besides, cant you see how torn up inside he is about it?" she looked at Kiba over the fire for emphasis.

Jasper also looked over at Kiba. There was no doubt the younger wolf struggled with what happened, but Jasper stubbornly glared at him with a snort, yet this time, he lacked his intensity behind his actions. Even if his pride was far above it, his heart silently went out to Kiba as the wolf struggled with dark demons of the past.

After a moment, Sasuke cleared his deep throat, "What happened, son?" he gently urged Kiba to continue.

Kiba's pained blue eyes looked up into Sasuke's face and once again found homage in the flames light, "I am… ashamed for what I did… about two and a half years after I met her, Akira started distancing herself from me. It was in subtle ways, but she asked my thoughts on the future… of pups…." Kiba's eyes drifted from the fire to the three pups that now slept peacefully around Akira, "I didn't respond much to their favor…"

"**Ki..Kiba..," Akira's breathy voice whispered across his naked skin as Kiba lay across her naked body in absolute bliss. He loved the way she felt under him when both were stripped of all their clothing, especially just after a wild night like tonight. Just remembering it got his blood rushing and his strength returning from its sluggish sated state for another go.**

"**Hmm?" he mumbled against her hair.**

"**Uhh… Kiba… I uh… I've wanted to know something…. Something for a long time now… but it never came up so, yeah… I just… well you see…. I wanted to …. Err… uh..," she was rambling. He smiled at her nervousness against her hair, breathing in her womanly scent.**

"**What is it? Go on, you know you can ask me." He prompted, rising to prop his head up in a hand as he rest his elbow against the bed to look down at her. To his amusement, she wouldn't look at him. This must really be troubling to her, what ever it was…**

**Akira gently pushed Kiba off her and rolled to her side away from him as her fingers played with her dark cotton sheets. **

"**Akira..?" Kiba leaned over her from behind to try and look her in the eyes, but she refused to meet his inquiring blue eyes.**

"**What… what do you think about the future?" she asked quietly, taking him off guard.**

**Kiba pulled back a bit, "The Future??"**

**Akira turned to look at him for a moment, "I mean… with what we're…. You know…" she blushed as she glanced down herself and his own naked body before shyly blushing away, "with what we're… doing… what if I … we had pups?"**

"**Pups?" he looked down at her with a raised brow, "Is that what you're so worried about? Getting pregnant?" he saw her shoulders and back stiffen and sighed, worming his arms around her and dragging her back to his chest, "You don't need to worry about the hassles pups would bring us. I would never get you pregnant. The mere thought appalls me." He had meant that he wouldn't get her pregnant with out her consent, but those words went with out being said and Akira took it the wrong way as she felt him drifting off to sleep behind her.**

"**Oh… I see…," she replied quietly, "Tha…thank you… Kiba." A piece of her heart felt like it was ripping away from her as she discretely ran her hand down her stomach…**

"It was during this time that one of Terks' sub alpha's, a wolf called Zali, relinquished his division to the command of his own beta, an ass called Mose. Zali was wounded by a revolt against shifter-hating humans so he had to give control over to that bastard for an extended period of time while Zali healed in the humans' prison cells. He was arrested for taking down a human who shot down Zali's mate and a few other pack mates." Kiba's eyes hardened, "Zali's sub-pack didn't mind me or Akira since we were just barely with in their territory lines. We were harmless and cooperative while with in their boundaries, but Mose was more aggressive. He recruited strays and rouge wolves. Wolves rejected by their own packs went to Mose and became a pack of bloodthirsty bastards that openly attacked anyone who got in their way, especially if they were human. They purposefully stirred up a lot of hell to strike terror into the eyes of the humans."

"I heard about that…," Diya admitted, "In the city, I heard rumors when I went into town for the day with a few friends I'd met during work a while back. We strayed far away from that area…,"

"When I made my short trips back to my own pack every so often or when Akira was away in college classes, I'd often run into them. I often took out a few of Mose's crazed wolves as they attacked innocent people and I guess he got pissed off for my meddling, but he never seemed to attack me once I returned to Akira, but that's probably due to the fact that if I sensed them following me back to Akira's, I'd loose them before returning to her."

"That obliviously doesn't sound like it lasted." Jasper commented, but it was free of any poisonous tones he had before.

Kiba nodded slowly, looking at Akira as she stiffened, "It happened one night when I left Akira to return to the pack. I thought she had night classes that night anyways, so I thought nothing of it. The city guardian, Zandar, had warned me to be on my guard with Zali out of command much earlier but I didn't think they'd have… well I… I don't know exactly what hap-,"

"I left classes early." Akira cut in quietly. Everyone looked at her.

"Akira...?" Sasuke whispered, gritting his teeth as he felt how hard this must be for her to relive. She seemed so stiff.

"Honey…" Shura said to Akira gently, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to…,"

"No… I need to tell you all." Akira shook her head, hugging her pups tighter to herself as they slept on innocently and oblivious to whatever the adults were discussing, "When I returned home, I found… I found Mose there with a few other wolves. He said he knew my secrete…" she looked down at the pups…

**Akira could only stare in shock and fear as Mose looked her over as if he were surprised to see her, "Well, so you're the bitch that bastard protects so vigorously. I didn't know you both stayed here, but I guess this night'll just keep getting better." He grinned in his wolf form as he stood on her bed she shared with Kiba. Three other mangy looking wolves fanned around him, salivating at the sight of her. Instinctively, Akira took on her own wolf form.**

"**Who are you? What are you doing here?!" she demanded.**

"**I know your little secrete, darl'n," Mose grinned manically at her, "You haven't told ol'Kiba have'ya? No judging by your expression you haven't." he licked his chops, "How delicious…," the three mangy henchmen wolves approached her slowly.**

"**Stay back!" Akira's hackles rose, but she felt fear strike her and the instinct to run burned in her mind. She turned tail to bolt out the door again, but stopped short when two more wolves just outside the door cut her off. She frantically looked at the other doors along the hallway seeing most of them clawed through with bloody marks. Her orange eyes widened in fear- they just attacked all those people in their sleep probably to kill off any witnesses!**

**Mose laughed behind her, "No where to run, girly. Try somewhere else."**

**His cackles echoed as his wolves descended upon her while Akira screamed in terror, protecting her womb instinctively.**

"**Rough her up as you like, boys, just spare the bastards in her womb until we get their bastard Pa in here to see us rip them from her." Mose ordered.**

"They…. They really…." Yumi couldn't say it. She bowed her head into Jasper's shoulder.

"They left my womb well alone, so no, Yumi. They didn't rape me, but they did cause all the trauma you saw afterwards in the hospital." Akira answered softly as she sniffed back a few tears and wiped at her eyes to dry them away from her cheeks, "I don't know what exactly did it, but while I resisted, one of them knocked something hard against my head…," she tenderly reached a hand to the back of her head in memory, "the last thing I remember is just barely recognizing Kiba when he burst through the wolves to get to me. I remember hearing gun shots as well."

"When I was out to return to the pack," Kiba glanced over his shoulder, "I was ambushed by Mose's greater part of his pack. They were armed and I knew I should have just avoided them, but when they hinted that Mose knew your secrete, something you were keeping from me, I snapped. They taunted me about what he was doing to you and I couldn't restrain the way I attacked them. I know they opened fire on me, but I don't remember feeling pain. It was all a blur to me, I knew I was killing them mercilessly, but I didn't care. I wanted them all dead for even mentioning your name before I took out Mose himself. And when I arrived and saw you in the middle of all those wolves with Mose laughing over them… I lost it. I killed them all, but they shot me down numerous times. Two even snapped my legs while I wrestled with another one…," Kiba grimaced, "But I still fought till they were all dead, even after I realized their blood was getting all over you. After I got rid of them…I saw you unmoving. I tried to call an ambulance, but the phones were dead, so I walked outside to the payphone and called one up. The rest is hazy, but some how I ended up at the door of my own den where I lost consciousness. I guess I hit my head on the curb when I finally collapsed." Kiba finished.

"And that's how Heart and I found him just after he fell. We saw him hit the curb." Blue added.

"Next thing I know, I wake up in a damned hospital room with no recollection of who I was or what I was. Just the strange dreams I had of a past life probably." Kiba said.

"And here you are now…," Diya said amazed, "You've been through hell and back by the sounds of it, haven't you?"

Kiba grinned at her attempt to lighten the mood, "So it would seem." His face sobered up gradually as he looked to Sasuke, "I have fought through the trials in this life and come before you now, as a man, asking for you to relinquish Akira and our pups into my own care."

Everyone looked to Sasuke as the elder man closed his eyes, "You realize how much grief you're asking me to endure, don't you, boy." He replied.

"I can only imagine, sir," Kiba offered, "but can you not understand that I will not just let her go now that I have found her and my family again?"

Sasuke nodded, "Very noble of you, to come to me unannounced after putting my own flesh and blood through such a trauma."

"It won't happen twice." Kiba sternly replied.

"You can't be sure of that." Sasuke retorted coolly. His hazel eyes opened to meet Kiba's golden ones over the dieing flames, "Who's to say this Zali won't attack with vengeance once he is well and out of the human prisons? Will you be able to defend Akira and your pups then?"

"Zali has already come to terms with what's happened." Blue replied for Kiba, "He only whished he could have been the one to pay the bastards trip to hell instead of Kiba."

"And what of his higher alpha? This Terk fellow?" Sasuke pressed, "He is already a formidably rival is he not? We are a nomadic pack and therefore avoid any rivalries by simply moving on our rotations of homes. Can I trust a den-dweller like you to look after her when you will not run to save her?"

"We will run if we have to." Kiba retorted, "But it is not something I believe we'll be forced to do." He smirked.

"While Terk's pack is larger by far…," Toboe admitted, making himself known.

"Our pack is crafty at this sort of thing, and we've got allies most wolves wouldn't even think of." Hige finished for him, "Even the guardian himself favors us."

Yumi's eyes widened, "You mean the ancient one? The panther-shifter they call Zandar?"

"The same." Laura nodded shyly.

"So where was this pussy cat when Mose went Awall on the city?" Jasper accused.

"He's a guardian, not god." Hige snorted, "He's also feline, he can only meddle so much in wolf territorial affairs and only involves himself personally when the shifter-peoples existence is threatened."

"And he didn't think hunting humans wasn't a good enough excuse to step in? they rest of the humans will start wolf-shifter hunting now soon as word gets out that a blood thirsty pack of mongrels attacked innocents just to get a name out." Jasper snapped.

"HE HAS HIS REASONS!" Toboe defended.

"OH?" Jasper stood threateningly, "And just what are those REASONS? Eh pup?"

"JASPER!" Sasuke barked with the authority of a ruling Alpha that made everyone jump.

Jasper glared into his fathers eyes momentarily before diverting his eyes in subtle submission, "Feh," he plopped back down on his bench where Yumi tried her best to help calm his anger.

Sasuke sighed under his breath as he fell silent again, taking in to consideration Kiba's story and Jaspers suspicions.

"Father….," Akira whispered softly, catching Sasuke's eye, "I am not afraid…," she said with out looking at him, "I am not afraid to face even war amongst wolves, if it means I am able to be with Kiba, I know I'll survive and keep my children alive. There is nothing to fear."

"You can't argue with love, dear," Shura admitted from the other side of Sasuke.

"That's true." Diya inputted.

Sasuke sighed defeated, "If I were to keep you away from this boy," Sasuke sadly looked down at his daughter, placing a hand on her had and ruffling her hair lovingly, "You'd never let me live it down, would you?"

Akira shook her head with a loving smile on her face, "Probably not,"

"Neither would we." Diya spoke for herself, Shura and Yumi.

"I'd rejoice." Jasper replied flippantly, ignoring half-heartedly the glares his mate sent him, "But…," he admitted grudgingly, "I don't think I'd be able to stand it if you put her through that kind of pain, ol'man."

"I knew I loved you!" Yumi squealed, throwing her hands over his neck and kissing him on the cheek lovingly.

"Then it seems I have no choice then…," Sasuke sighed disheartened, "Kiba, I approve of your relations with our Akira,"

Kiba and Akira heaved a sigh of relief, smiling to one another in victory while Kiba's pack _quietly_ cheered behind him.

"YEAAAAAAAH! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALK'N ABOUT!" Hige shouted.

"Finally!" Blue crossed her arms over her chest.

"This is awesome! Wait till Tsume gets a load of this!" Toboe grinned, hugging Laura to his side.

"I'm so happy Kiba finally found his mate," Lauralai actually had tears welling up in her eyes.

"That doesn't mean you should celebrate just yet." Jasper, being mister downer now, said.

"He's right." Sasuke stood up with a bright smile on his face, "Since you're now a part of Akira and the pups, you're a part of this pack as well." He held out a chain that was around his neck with a crucifix pendent on it, "And each of our pack wears one of these to show our unity to one another."

"So I just have to get one, don't I?" Kiba didn't see what the problem was with that.

"Don't get too excited. Around here, when some one gets married into the family hasn't earned a pendent of our family, you have to forge your own. Oh and by the way, while you're off looking for raw material to use, you're not allowed to come in contact with Akira." Jasper retorted with a huge, satisfied grin.

"Come again..?" Hige's happy mood fell sharply.

"Call it a dowry or whatever, but that's the ceremony we go by here." Diya said, "All outsider males marrying into the family must forge their own while females like Yumi waits for her mate to be, Jasper, to make one for her, as a sign of his love for her. Yours is a sign of devotion to our pack and represents our alliance with your own."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Toboe whined.

"AGH! THIS IS BULLSHIT AND YOU ALL KNOW IT!" Hige growled.

"I'll do it." Kiba determinedly accepted as he looked directly at Sasuke, "No matter how long it takes, I'll prove myself to you to have Akira."

"Some how I knew you'd say that." Sasuke said with a smile, "Very well, Kiba, with my blessing you may venture into our lands where the mines are to gather raw material for your pendent."

"Have fun navigating those mines, white-boy." Jasper smirked.

"Nonsense, Jazz, he wont have a problem navigating the mines." Sasuke patted his son's shoulder, "That's what you're for. You and Kiba will venture in the mines while the rest of us wait here."

"Say what….,"


	40. Epilogue

A/N- For the love of GOD! I FINALLY got this Epilogue done! U have no idea how hard it was for me to end this fic, I wanted to do it like five different ways but this seemed like the best way to wrap it all up (and u'll probably still hate it because it's the end) that and the whole two month thing is due to Senior-itse meaning when ur a senior in highschool things run away from u and damn do they run fast. I was watching wolfsrain just now and I realized: OH SHIT THE STORY!!! Lol

So yes, this is the end of Lullaby and no there's not a lemon in this chapter (blame fanfiction . net. I will probably post a lemony chapter on MediaMiner . Org if I get enough requests for it.

(snivels) I'LL MISS U ALL SOOOO MUCH!!! Lmao

Oh yea, if u have a GaiaOnline account, find me DarkStormFox_DessyIshtar that's my user name and I'd love to meet u guys on there if u have one. Look me up ^_^

Special thanks to: Katelin Malone, Zanny, Shadow, little shadow, and NarNar!

Acknowledgements: pushbulli (I'm working on that bad habit, sry), merlyn1382, Shadow, Shurtugal, freddbing323, howling1, Hybrid, electrogirl88, Amber, sweetooth, Prettykitty67, blackpanther, LoneFallenAngelRinoa, SilenceofDoom, Blackwidow, tigerjaw, Dhole, lucky, gossipgirl, stargirl, Siren, WildKat, wolfsbane, Quickstrike, Wildcreature, fannyone325, Venom, AngelofVengeance, GangsofFury(still love the name! Lol), Aquamarine, Sabertooth, Dusk, Dawn, Anon, Furyguy, alvinfreak676, Savagecreature, coldfire, Snowstar, freakingod, Siren, Vixie, QueenofSpades, Siren to the Werewolves, HottyKat, TwiLightzone, emilyruby, Hellhound, bloodymary, White Fang, Carnage, …. Is that all of u?? I hope so, I don't wanna miss anyone! Lol

I LUV U ALL!!!! COOKIES OR YOUR MOST FAVORED TREAT FOR EVERYONE!!!!!!!

Ahem- I don't own Wolfsrain for the last time. There, I said it, now to go and cry about it in a dark room somewhere far away from guns or any suicidal device…. That's right I said it. Lol

(There's a special note the end of this chapter-…er Epilogue about future fics. Check it!)

Epilogue

"They are just soooo cute!" Heart cooed as she held the one year old baby boy with auburn red brunette hair close to her face, nuzzling her nose to his and getting a giggle out of the happy boy, "I can't believe they came from Kiba!"

Kiba glared at his beta's mate dryly with a low growl of warning. His growl stopped with a strangled sound however when Akira walked down the steps to the main floor of the den. Her cheeks were flushed with heat and her flaming red hair was wet and moist down her white fluffy robed back. He always seemed to lose interest in everything when she walked into the room as his blue eyes followed her every move as she made her way over to the bar to find something to snack on, oblivious to the way her mate leered at her every move. She'd gotten used to his constant attention.

"I can't choose who's cutest out of the three." Blue admitted as she cuddled the silvery-blond headed baby girl in her arms, "But yeah, I still can't believe they came from Kiba either." The two sisters looked at Kiba in unison then shared a look, "Sure he's got looks but these guys are just too…. Cute to come from an iceberg like him."

Kiba stiffened and growled again under his breath, mumbling something about females. As he diverted his eyes away from them stubbornly, but he didn't stay that way for long. Like a tractor beam, his blue eyes were back on Akira in no time as she found some milk and leftover cookies Lauralai had made last night. She was unusually oblivious today as she seemed to ignore the other three females of the pack coddling her pups and her mate in the room in favor for meeting her stomachs demands and sweet-tooth's pleas.

Lauralai held the last pup and the only one who was in his wolf form, Shadow. His little head rested on her shoulder on top his paws while she held his lower half in her arms. He seemed content to snooze in the girl's arms while she stroked his velvety dark fur at leisure, "I don't know guys," Laura said softly in her shy way, "I mean, they're also part of Akira, right? Besides, Kota and Shadow have shown signs of Kiba's fierceness."

"Hmm, that's true." Heart sighed in dismay, "All well, at least we have little Mori here to be as cute as his mother all the time." She cooed to the baby boy in her grasps, getting him to giggle again at her as she smiled, "I can't wait till Tsume and I get pups."

"Me either." Blue sighed wistfully then side-glance down to Laura, "What about you girl? Think Toboe and you'll get pups in the future?" 

"Wha-wha-WHAT?" Lauralai's face was set aflame with embarrassment, "T-Toboe and me?? Pups?? B-bu-bu-but we're to-to you-young!" she stammered. Her sudden stiffness jerked Shadow awake and the pup moaned his displeasure, wanting to go back to sleep.

"Eighteen is the legal age you know." Heart teased knowingly.

Lauralai tried to stammer her reply, but no coherent words came out as she jittered about red-faced with a racing heart, "I-he-we-u-na-bu-he-eh??"

The sisters laughed at their younger pack-sisters expanse until Akira set down her glass of milk a bit louder than usual to get their attention. The red head smiled warmly at poor Laura, "They're just trying to get a rise out of you, little Laura, so don't mind them."

Laura blushed at her alpha's concern, "Ye-yes Akira."

"Awe, Akira…," Heart huffed as their fun was dampened, "can you really blame us? The boys are gone except Mr. Grumpy-Pants over there," Kiba growled louder at the insult, "so we have no one to mess around with to pass the time now,"

"We didn't mean anything by it, Laura" Blue patted the younger female's shoulder.

"Rest assured, ladies," Akira grinned mischievously, "Your boy-toys will be back soon. Kiba only sent them out on patrol and to check in with Zali's pack for updates on what's going on in Terk's domain. They've been usually reckless as of late."

"No killings I hope?" Heart cradled Mori in her arms so he could lay down.

"None yet, but they have been rough housing too close to humans. Someone might get hurt or worse, and then the humans will be after our necks again." The alpha female sighed in exasperation.

"It's got nothing to do with you girls so you shouldn't worry your heads about it." Kiba said gruffly, catching the attention of his pack females and mate from where he sat backwards in a chair, crossing his arms over the back of it, "It's why I sent the boys out to take care of it."

Heart narrowed her eyes at the smug male before leaning over to Blue, "I still don't get how he wooed Akira into falling for him. He can be so chauvinistic." She didn't bother to keep her voice under Kiba's hearing range, letting the male fume in response.

"I AM NOT-," his tirade was cut short when Akira giggled. He turned curious blue eyes on his mate as she rounded the counter of the bar where the other females were and all but sauntered up to him. He gulped- this could either be really good, or really bad…

"No, no ladies, you've got it all wrong. Kiba's not chauvinistic," she smiled back to them as she walked up to Kiba and moved behind him. Kiba kept her well with in his sights, wanting to see what she was doing. He stiffened when her bare arms wrapped around him from behind as she rest her head on his left shoulder, "Not much at least," she teased in her feather light way, "It's just that I haven't been around much to retrain him on how to treat women."

"That's for sure." Blue nodded and rolled her eyes to the ceiling, "Out of the five months you've been back together, four of those we spent at your Father's country den waiting for him to make that damned chain of approval. He just had to make it out of gold and go over the top."

Kiba snorted at her, unconsciously raising his left hand to cover over the golden crucifix on the golden chain around his neck, "You think I enjoyed having Jasper purposefully lose me in those winding labyrinths they call caves looking for raw material to make it?"

"Could have fooled me." Blue shot back.

Kiba growled lowly in his throat and his hand tightened to a fist around his family pendent, his instincts and nerves grating the more Blue nonchalantly treated him, he almost felt like he should discipline her to remind her who was alpha and who was a lower pack member, but his mate's whispered words instantly sent his riled pride at ease.

"She's on edge because it's been awhile since the boys left for enemy lands. Leave her be." Akira reassured in his ear, one of her hands fluttered down his chest gently easing his fist open to cradle his golden crucifix pendent in her own hand, "Besides, I think it's sweet that you made your family pendent out of gold to impress Papa."

His wounded pride instantly healed at her praise. Now that he thought about it, it was only natural that he feel this agitated around all of them, he was one male against three adult females and one shy adolescent. While he was thankful all the females stepped up to help Akira care for their pups when Kiba was finally able to bring them home, he had gotten a bit annoyed with how much more liberties Heart and Blue pushed for in and out of Pack order. If Akira wasn't around to calm his nerves, Kiba was sure the two sisters would have already driven him insane long ago.

A knock resounded in the bar-room from the door, startling the wolves. They were only expecting Tsume, Hige and Toboe to return, and they wouldn't have knocked. Heart was about to set down Mori to check the peephole, but Kiba sent her a stern look that told her to stay put as he stood up and approached the door with Akira at his back. He slid open the steal door's peephole slot and was greeted with deep yellow green cat like eyes.

"We're closed." Kiba said lowly.

"I'm not here for the bar, wolf-ling." The deep voice rumbled through the door. A hint of unabashed amusement trickled in that deep voice that had Kiba on the edge with how much power he suddenly felt reserved in its depths.

"Then state your business feline." Kiba was all business, even as his hackles rose uncertainly, not wanting any unknown male near his pack of females and pups.

"Kiba," the voice seemed to chuckle, "Have you really become so paranoid as to forget me."

"Who are you, then." Kiba didn't let up on his cold tone, but his eyes narrowed a fraction with recognition.

"It's only the guardian of the city, Zandar," The giant dark-skinned yellow eyed man smiled through the peephole.

Akira stood on her tiptoes to look over Kiba's shoulder and grinned when she saw the eyes of her long time friend, "Zandar!" she called out in warm greetings as the felines eyes twinkled when she said his name and Kiba rolled his own eyes.

Kiba grudgingly let his mate move him out of the way to open the door, barely holding in a possessive growl when Akira greeted her feline guardian friend with a tight hug around the neck.

"Possessive as ever I see." The panther shifter grinned wickedly at the alpha wolf who snorted in return curtly.

Akira slid down from hugging the huge man's neck and pouted at her mate, "Kiba, Zandar's not a threat to us, he's our friend, and a close one at that. Stop treating him like he's an enemy!"

"Why have you come here?" Kiba was all cold-business once again.

"You never were one to dance about the topic of business," Zandar sighed in dismay. His yellow eyes lit up when he caught sight of the pups in the other females' arms, "Are those yours, Akira?"

Akira nodded, "I almost forgot you never were able to meet them yet. Zandar, these are our pups, Mori, Dakota, and Shadow." Akira introduced as she pointed out each of the pups according to name.

Zandar approached Heart to gently hold out a hand to the groggy little baby in her arms. Mori's sleepy eyes lazily locked on to one of the man's dark thick fingers, making the sudden sleepy eyes turn wide and cross-eyed while he raised a tiny hand to grab at them. Zandar grinned at the tiny hand that gripped onto his index finger, "Strong grip." He commented.

Akira preened in pride and looked up to Kiba at her side with a proud smile that drained in its luster when she saw that her mate still looked at the Panther shifter with dark suspicion.

Zandar then moved on to the sleeping Kota in Blues arms, smiling warmly at the sight of the slumbering girl suckling her thumb, "She'll be a heart throb when she grows up. You ready for her Kiba? I'm sure suitors will come far and wide to try and woe her." the Panther grinned with a smirked fang poking out of his lips back at the stony-expression that was Kiba's face.

"Let them come." The way Kiba said that was as if he were prepared to go to war…

Zandar chuckled as he made his way to the last of the three- Shadow. His expression sobered a bit more when his yellow eyes were met with wolf-silent golden amber and sky blue mismatched eyes of the dark pup. Shadow, as usual, didn't back down from the adult felines' gaze. The wolf pup stared just as somberly up at the large male in the arms of his pack-aunts arms. Laura seemed to shift uncomfortable with the intensity of the guardians yellow feline narrowed stare.

"I was afraid of this." Zandar sighed, his had held out for the pup to sniff. Shadow seemed to accept him good naturedly, "Even in this reborn world, he still haunts after her."

"Who?" Akira was suddenly alarmed. She stepped away from Kiba, "Is something wrong with my son?"

"Not now." Zandar replied vaguely.

Silence reined down on the wolf pack.

Kiba finally stepped forward, "That's why you've come. For Shadow?" Kiba accused in his toneless business voice that was cold as sharpened blades of ice, "Just what is it you want from my son?" his upper lip twitched, barely able to hold back an all-out animalistic snarl of rage. 

"Don't act so in-the-dark, Kiba, you're aware of your past life. All of you are. The world before this world was reborn because of all of you." He turned to Akira with warm eyes, "Especially you, Akira of the red moon."

"Zandar, you're scaring me. What's really going on? Tell me, please." She took her son from Laura's shaking arms and backed into her husbands arms as Kiba wrapped them around her to give her strength…. That and to remind Zandar just who the protector of his family was.

"You've had dreams, nightmares of a wolf with mismatched eyes and of a moon bleeding red while the earth cried out her last breath before being reborn. All of you have, haven't you?" Zandar asked them all.

"Feh, it's just old, scary dreams from remembering stories of the dark wolf god, Wolfsbane. Nothing more." Heart blew him off.

"Is it? Is it really that?" the great cat challenged, "Wolfsbane is a dark wolf god with black eyes. Not golden and blue mismatched."

"What are you getting at?" Blue demanded.

"The evil with in Darcia in your previous lives forced you to see him as an enemy, but you, Akira, didn't give the final blow to his death as the prophecy intended." Zandar looked into Akira's wide eyes.

"Da-Darcia…" she whispered, feeling her knees go weak.

Kiba tightened his hold around her waist to hold her up, "Don't speak of that _bastards_ name!" he roared, hurting everyone with sensitive ears. His pups jumped startled and awake, frightened eyes locked on their father, "So what if Akira didn't finish him off! He was band from this world for his sins against the one before!" 

"But Akira was the one to have banded him before is she not?" Zandar had a way of walking around the subject that always sent Kiba's anger flaring to life.

"TELL US YOUR MESSAGE AND GET OUT!" he ordered, golden wolf eyes flashed in his human state, showing that he was very close to shifting.

"Calm yourself, Kiba; this isn't a prophecy of the death of your pack or even the world, merely a warning." Zandar calmly replied with unblinking eyes boring into Akira.

Akira shivered.

"Akira." The cat spoke softer to help ease her.

Her orange eyes locked with his yellow ones, fear showing from the depths of her soul as she seemed to relieve those terrifying moments when she had to face Darcia to protect Kiba and Cheza once upon a dream.

"Homena came to you in those final days before you fought Darcia didn't she," it wasn't a question.

Akira swallowed hard, "Y-yes." She nodded.

"You were prepared to kill Darcia before she came, weren't you. But when you saw the pain in Homena's spirit you felt mercy for Darcia. You never intended to kill him even when the red moon spirit possessed you in an attempt to fulfill the true prophecy."

Kiba gritted his teeth, "Why don't you just-,"

"No, I never wanted to kill him. I couldn't bring myself to," Akira admitted, bowing her head, "I felt mercy and wished I could have given him a second chance with Homena…,"

"And here's your own son Shadow- the reincarnation of Darcia." Zandar said.

"HE'S NOTHING LIKE THAT FUCKING BASTARD!" Kiba shoved his mate and pup behind him to protect them from this feline accusing his son of possessing the same soul as that _soulless_ bastard.

"Akira wished for Darcia to have a second chance, and in doing so, gave him one, in her own womb." Zandar replied just as calm, ignoring the fury of snarls coming from the other three females and all out rage coming off Kiba himself, only Akira seemed to react differently, "Your son only has a few attributes of your old adversary at this age, but as he grows, I warn you, his old soul might resurface and take vengeance on you all."

"That's your warning? To tell me my son will kill me when he's older?" Kiba growled, "Bullshit!"

"Kiba…," Akira whispered. He growled back at her, but the determination in her eyes stopped him. She turned to Zandar, "Is this the truth?"

Zandar nodded solemnly.

"Then so be it. He may have a part of Darcia's soul in him, but Shadow is still Shadow. I'll raise him in a good home; I'll give him all my love just as I will for Mori and Kota. What you say and what the gods say or who he was before this life has no meaning to me. He is my son." She bravely stated.

Zandar scrutinized her coolly, "Is this your decision? To let him live?"

"I'll kill you if you say I should otherwise." Akira replied determined, stepping around her mate to face the guardian head on.

Zandar assessed her with a mask emotionlessly. After some time, the large dark-skinned man grinned widely down at her and ruffled her hair fondly, "That's just what I wanted to hear." He smiled, "But are you prepared to face your beloved son if he turns to become the monster his spirit is holding inside him?"

"He won't become a monster. The old spirit he harbors of… of Darcia," she could barely say the ancient wolf's name anymore, "That spirit only attacked us directly because he was in pain from loosing Homena. Homena's spirit is still out there and if their love was true, Shadow will find her." Akira replied.

"That's my girl," the panther nodded and looked to the door, "Your pack should be returning soon, Kiba. A word of advice, do not let Terk's packs fool you into friendship." He looked dead on at the tense male behind Akira.

"This pack doesn't make friends lightly, guardian. Now leave." He ordered as if he were the greater being between the two, making Zandar chortle in response.

"Oh the irony wolves bring to the world." The panther chuckled, looking around to see the rest of the present pack were in full agreement with their leader. Even Laura seemed riled up as her eyes took on a wolfish glint to them, "I know when I'm no longer needed. With that, I say good day to you all." He bowed his head and patiently walked to the heavy steel door, opening it. Just as he was about to walk out of threshold, he ducked back through the door to address Akira, "Oh and Akira, I'll be keeping an eye out just for extra precaution."

"Don't bother." Kiba growled.

Zandar smiled back at him just to rile the alpha even more and then ducked out the door and left.

"Man that guy really pisses me off!" Heart hissed, cradling Mori to her to comfort him. He was all out bawling in fear now.

"Oh Mori…," Akira sighed, handing off Shadow to Kiba and then took the wailing baby boy from Heart to comfort him, "There, there, little one, its okay, uncle Zandar's gone now, no more scary kitty," she cooed.

"Uncle?" Kiba nearly spat the word, "We're not giving him close relations to our pups Akira."

Akira gave him a look, but didn't fight with him on it as she finally got Mori's cries of terror down to whimpers of uncertainty.

"Momma, make Mori stuff it…," Dakota groaned.

"Enough of that, little missy," Akira retorted, "I'll not have you talking about your brother in such a way."

"But Momma, he's such a baby." Dakota complained.

"Tell me about it." Shadow rolled his eyes in wolf form.

"Kota, Shadow, I'll not ask again." Akira warned in her motherly tone that sent both pups obeying her with out question.

"Yes momma." They both replied in unison.

Shadow fell silent as he watched his mother tend to his baby brother, "Pappa?" Kiba inclined his head to show he was listening, "Am I really bad like that panther guy said?"

The other wolves stiffened.

"Feh, I need to teach you never to listen to the sharp lash of a cat tongue. Don't believe a word any feline says. You're fine, Shadow." Kiba reassured.

"Really?"

"Really." He nodded.

"Really, Really" Akira added.

"Really, really REALLY!" Kota joined in.

"Really, really, really, really truly, really best brother!" Mori proudly chimed.

"So he's just a stupid cat?" Shadow wanted to be sure.

"Aren't all cats just a stupid cat?" Blue grinned.

"Did someone say cat?" Hige burst through the door, "Hey everyone we're back!" he looked around and sniffed, jerking back in disgust, "Was there a cat in here?"

"Just a stray." Heart replied, sharing a look with the others as they all silently agreed not to mention Zandar's predictions.

"So that's the reason for all the long faces?" Hige snorted, "Come one guys, and after we brought back presents too!"

The pups all started at that, "Presents?" Kota echoed excitedly, wiggling out of Blue's grasps.

"Yep, Presents!" Toboe poked his head in the door with a potato sack slug across his back, "Gifts from Zali's pack for the pups and food for us all too!" he gestured to Tsume who silently walked in behind him with an arm load of food boxes and sacks that gave off a delicious fragrance.

The pups cheered and scrambled after Toboe eagerly with Lauralai tagging behind at a slower pace following the young male wolf away from the bar so the pups could play with their new toys. Blue and Heart gave Tsume a hand and started preparing the meal while Hige hovered over them eagerly awaiting the promise of good food.

"Didn't Zandar say to beware of the packs under Terk's control?" Akira whispered.

"Damn him and his paranoid predictions." Kiba grumbled, watching as Shadow played with his brother while they discovered all the strange noises a toy car with sound buttons could make. Their Sister, Kota was hugging a stuffed bear three times her size to her small person while Toboe and Lauralai laughed with the pups and showed them each new toy in the potato sack.

"Kiba… what if what Zandar says is really-,"

"Akira, I never was one for believing in one set destiny." He cut her off. At her dull look, Kiba tried to rephrase himself, "Not in this life. You know what I meant anyways. Before with the lunar flowers, I had a purpose. I met you through that purpose."

"And this purpose could be to protect our family. Protect our son." She pointed out.

Kiba took her into his arms, "Nothing bad will happen to our son or any of our pups. Nothing that fur ball, flea bag, pest-eater says will change that."

Akira hugged her mate, "This is all my fault. If only I had been strong enough to-,"

Kiba cut her off with a quick kiss that stole her very breath. He didn't let up on her until he felt her melt into his embrace and when he finally did release her lips from his own capturing plundering ones, she looked up at him confused.

"Kiba?"

"Not another word about what you could have done, love." He sternly told her as if it were an order. The tone provoked her to raise an inquisitive brow, "You did exactly what you should have done and what ever happens now we will deal with as it comes. Don't live in the future or the past. Live in what you have now." He nodded towards their pups playing obliviously to all around them.

Akira rests her head against Kiba's chest and sighed, "I'll try Kiba." She whispered, but Zandar's words still rung in her head.

_One thing I know for sure, _she thought as she and Kiba joined their gathered their pups to eat with the rest of the pack, _I'll not hand my son over to the evil in Darcia's spirit willingly……_

End-

The future:

I have a fic that I'm going to start posting, actually two.

One- Tamer of Beasts: it's a Yu-Gi-Oh fic, but I used Yu-Gi-Oh because I like Ancient Egypt and it doesn't have the whole card game thing going on and its an alternate universe. It will have lemons in it. And probably no Yaoi. Not for Anzu (Tea) bashers.

Two- Fates Denial: Now this one is an Avatar: the Last Air Bender fic that's been bugging me for a LOOONG time. It'll take longer to post since right now I'm on the Yu-Gi-Oh Egyptian high (strange? Yes. I know.) Aang has given up his life to save his friends just after the incident in Basingsay (someone plz tell me how to spell that for the love of fanfiction.) just before he dies, Katara makes a promise to bring the new Avatar to life through her (her baby). Aang dies and the fire nation believes that they have the way for taking over the world. The last land they conquer is the water tribe northern lands. Meanwhile, the old Avatar gang (Katara, Sokka and Toph) have split up. Jet's freedom fighters are the only resistance fighting back, but they have laid low for three years since Aangs death, building up an army of resistance that spans across the world…..

I don't wanna give everything away, but it is a love triangle thing going- JetXKataraXZuko


	41. UPDATED CHAPTER 11

This is message that says I have updated again! This time it's chapter 11. Go back and read it and enjoy!


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